2023–2025 Mission Grant #30
Showering Love on the Least of These
Mercy Holistic Ministry, CA — $100,000
About This Mission Grant
Mercy Holistic Ministry (MHM) is a Sacramento, California, based organization, established in 2010, that provides dignified holistic services to restore and transform the lives of the homeless community in and around the city. Its ministry partners include various area LCMS congregations.
In 2021, MHM purchased a two-stall shower trailer, literally bringing showers and the Gospel to the location of the homeless. Beyond showers, MHM provides personal hygiene kits, haircuts, clean clothing, and food to the people who come. They offer the opportunity to speak with someone who can pray for them, provide active listening, and give referrals to other services, such as shelters. Bibles and prayer books are shared.
This grant will enable MHM to offer an additional day per week of service and to purchase and retrofit a mobile closet trailer for clean clothing and hygiene kit storage.
After a refreshing hot shower offered by Mercy Holistic Ministry (MHM) in their mobile shower truck in downtown Sacramento, sometimes the first shower in months! MHM also provides personal hygiene kits and clothing in addition to the shower.
More Mission Grant Photos
MHM provided employment to former shower recipients. Pictured L to R are Brendan Joseph, Berhanu Didanu (founder), Marion Smith, Miheret Abebe (co-founder), and David Kretzmann (Board chairperson). Both Brendan and Marion are formerly unhoused and now work as employees of MHM. Marion says, "Working at MHM rekindled my faith as I am able to take time off in between showers to go to church while working at the mobile shower site."
MHM partnered with Capital Christian Center to provide onsite prayer and counseling along with distribution of 100 bags of groceries on February 27th after a church service.
Brendan Joseph (on right), formerly unhoused and working for MHM since mid-2021 as a Cleaner and Sanitizer, hands over clean towels and inner clothing. Brendan credits MHM for the stability he got after working at MHM that helped him to pursue his passion of playing chess, something he was not able to do while on the street. Brendon was a one-time chess champion of Sacramento County and recently in July 2022, he won third place of Chess Championship for Sacramento County.
People who receive Mercy Holistic Ministry's services are eager to help out in return. A person experiencing homelessness cleans out the shower trailer after utilizing the services.
Haircut services are provided at the shower site by Shaun, a formerly homeless employee of MHM, now married and housed. Haircuts are typically not provided by shelters or other programs.
Bicycle donations and repairs are provided at the shower site in partnership with St. Matthew Lutheran Church. One bicycle recipient now uses it as transportation to and from his new job MHM helped him get.
