Warehouse Ministry
It began many years ago in New York when a company wanted to donate warm blankets — in the middle of summer! We knew that ministries that reach out to the homeless would need those blankets in the winter, but where to keep them until then? From those humble beginnings, the warehouse ministry has gone far beyond a simple place for storage. Through the years, not only in New York but also in Los Angeles, Chicago and Bakersfield, our teams have used space in a variety of ways. Boxes of Love and Easter Bags are packed there, and thousands of pounds of canned goods and other food are gathered to be redistributed weekly to partner ministries. Christian materials are made available for outreach, and local pastors and volunteers have opportunities to interact with one another. The resources provide crucial points of contact between the churches and the poor, demonstrating God’s care and opening the door to the Gospel. Here’s Life celebrates the newest addition to the warehouse ministry — a 7,000 sq. ft. Community Resource Center in Minneapolis/St. Paul that opened in October 2006. This facility expands the opportunity to meet real physical and spiritual needs of destitute families. We anticipate the impact to touch 25,000 needy people every year through our partnerships with more than 150 churches in the Twin Cities. The Community Resource Center is equipped with a spacious warehouse section for compassionate product distribution, a training room to equip pastors and ministry leaders in youth and career development, and great computer workstations permitting inner-city pastors to access helpful resources on the web, a tool they often lack in their ministry environment. Our ability to receive and store vital resources is key to helping inner-city churches as they seek to live out God’s heart for the poor around them. |
Helpful Link: Our Compassionate Products page Some of our Warehouse Cities: Previous Spotlights: S.A.Y. Yes! Centers for Youth Development ForwardBound: Life Skills & Career Development |
First a closet, then a garage, then a warehouse, then a Community Resource Center — the warehouse ministry of Here’s Life Inner City has grown and developed to meet the needs of our partner churches.