By: Sheena Peters—
Muncie, IN – The Muncie Mission recently announced that the organization, which has traditionally served men, is expanding their services to women in 2018.
For 88 years, Muncie Mission Ministries has been an organization that primarily focused on men’s services including emergency shelter, recovery, and transitional housing. With the need for women’s services becoming a growing issue in East Central Indiana, Muncie Mission is taking the first steps to address those needs with the expansion into women’s transitional housing. This comes after the Muncie Mission Board of Directors finalized a Memorandum of Understanding with the Board of Directors for Beauty for Ashes in Alexandria, Indiana for the two organizations to merge.
Beauty for Ashes is a women’s transitional housing facility in Alexandria, IN that seeks to provide stability, hope, and restoration to women and children in need. They offer a 6-18 month program that provides case management, emotional management, life skills classes, spiritual formation, and social service referrals to empower women to make the best choices for themselves and their families. Beauty for Ashes will continue their work as a service offered by Muncie Mission with the vision to extend those opportunities to women in Muncie and throughout East Central Indiana.
Muncie Mission’s programs will be organized into three primary focus areas including Services for Men, Services for Women, and Services for Families.
“Muncie Mission has always worked to ensure men have a safe place to stay when the struggles of life have gotten them down, and we open our arms to those who need compassionate care,” stated Chief Executive Officer Frank Baldwin. “With spiritual guidance, men are lifted up and given hope to overcome their circumstances. Our resources partnered with the caring staff and structure already in place at Beauty for Ashes will allow us to offer warmth and safety to women in crisis who desire to change their lifestyles and work toward a positive future! This is just the first of many efforts to serve women and families.”
“This merger allows both organizations to strengthen the important work we do for our communities,” stated Beauty for Ashes Founder Sharon Renfro. “We are thrilled this merger will allow us to continue our way of addressing problems while being part of a larger effort. We know that our tools in women’s transitional housing will continue the success we have witnessed as well as expand the possibilities for women in need in East Central Indiana.”
As of January 1, 2018, Beauty for Ashes staff members became employees of Muncie Mission, and the organization now operates with one board of directors. Frank Baldwin will continue in his role as CEO, and the former Executive Director for Beauty for Ashes Marie Seitz will now be the Program Director for the Women’s Transitional Housing program.
About The Muncie Mission
Muncie Mission began providing compassionate rescue services on an immediate and/or long-term basis to those in need in East Central Indiana on October 25, 1930. Muncie Mission works to end homelessness, one person at a time, via a holistic approach — addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of their guests. Their primary ministry is creating a safe, Christ-centered refuge for homeless men. The Men’s Program provides three meals a day, spiritual nourishment, a place to sleep and more, while those in recovery also receive counsel and teaching on their journey. www.munciemission.org
