our history

Until 1999, the “transient” men checked in at 4:00 p.m. and then went back out after a good breakfast early the next morning. In between they were fed a good supper, and offered a warm shower, a good nights sleep and attended a chapel service. The results were good, but for many there was not a deep enough commitment to see much of a difference in their lives.

In 1999, a number of changes began to take place that have led to the current explosion of growth in all areas of the work. One of the changes was going from a primarily donation supported ministry to one that is primarily funded by fees paid by the residents themselves. Another change was to eliminate the mind set of “transient” from those who minister and from the men who come for help. The next step was to provide an opportunity for the men to stabilize their living arrangements by having assigned beds as well as work opportunities both volunteer and for pay. The focus was to help the men begin to regain lost dignity by re-establishing, or in some cases, developing practical work ethics for the first time.

The next key change was to eliminate the practice of closing the mission on weekends to the most vulnerable “transient” residents. This meant transporting (sometimes 40-50 men) to church at NFBC. It was trying (as many of the men had little knowledge about the church setting) however, there was much growth, both on the part of the men, as well as the congregation at NFBC.