02/21/2025
As many of you may know Mission House has been growing in the past few years. We have been astounded by the increase that God has done here with the commitment of our hands. We moved from Sacramento Street in mid-town St. Joseph to Esther Street in South St. Joseph in 2021. Kim and I made the move with no Mission House residents for a new start. MH purchased a lot with 2 mobile homes at 6900 Esther, and Kim and I purchased a home at 6922 Esther just 2 doors down. Having started Mission House in 2016 at the single residence on Sacramento Street, living with 36 different residents over the coarse of 5 years and witnessing and learning so much during that time; we decided it was time to structure the living situation differently. Since then we have witnessed God begin to bring the true vision of Mission House as a Christian Living Community to a truer reality. We moved into our home in March of 2021, had our first resident in June, and by fall all of our 3 bedrooms (at 6900 Esther) were full. The next move was Mission House purchasing the house directly behind our home at 6915 Ollmeda in February of 2022. It was a dilapidated 3 bedroom modular that had been an active drug house and was occupied by squatters. We worked with the city to secure the property and save it from demolition. By summer the house had been completely gutted from floor to ceiling and was a brand new beautiful interior, and by fall contained three new residents. The next step was to remove one of the mobile homes at 6900 Esther and build a duplex. Ground was broke in March 2023. One side of the duplex was completed and in use as our community center in February of 2024, and the first resident moved into the other side by June. We currently have 5 residents in the modular, duplex, and mobile home. We have experienced residents staying longer, and becoming a part of our community, each one ministering to new ones as they arrive. Since our move in 2021 we have housed 14 men.
We have great plans in store for 2025. Kim and I will begin the process of becoming foster parents. While no coincidence, after we made that decision a man with four children, all under 10, has moved in. We have been learning how to navigate having children at the Mission House every other weekend. It has been a blessing! In order for us to begin the process, Kim and I will have to move from our 1 bedroom home to the 3 bedroom modular at 6915 Ollmeda in order for the foster kids to have their own bedroom. The community center, operating in one side of the new duplex building at 6900 Esther, will be moved to a shed that we are currently finishing out. That space will then be completed for living space with two bedrooms and the 2 current Ollmeda residents will move there. This is all a simpler process than it may seem as the duplex space was already prepared for future living and remodeling a shed is fairly simple. We hope to have that transition complete by mid to late summer.
While we are excited for the transitions already underway this year, Mission House needs more living spaces available!! The need in St. Joseph is great! The duplex which was completed in 2024 (6900 Esther Street) was part 1 of a 3 phase construction project for a housing complex on that property. We desperately need to remove the terribly inefficient and deteriorating mobile home, which currently houses 1 man, and begin the next duplex in its place. We love our current community but want to see it grow. With the completion of another duplex building we hope to expand our housing of men only to include women and families. While Mission House’s day to day operations is self supported through the fees of those who stay here, we need community support for infrastructure. We seek to raise $100,000 in 2025 to begin construction in spring of 2026. While this seems a grand expectation, we have seen community support bring us to the place we are today. As little as $25 a month from multiple people goes a long way.
333 people giving $25 per month for 1 year = $100,000.00
Please consider making a one time or monthly gift for this cause. We are a 501c3 non- profit corporation, so giving is tax deductible and we have a board of directors. If you have any questions please call me or contact us through messenger. We accept donations through Venmo (the QR code is available on our page - The Mission House) or you can send us a check to Mission House (6922 Esther Street) if you are interested in supporting the efforts of Mission House. Thank you for your consideration!
Sincerely,
Ryan Hildebrand - President and Founder - 816-596-0664 Kim Hildebrand - Treasurer
