Since our inception, Jericho Road
Ministries has strived to meet the communities need for a viable homeless
shelter rescue ministry. Beginning with a 6-bed men’s program in 2000, we have
expanded as God has brought resources. There was never a set quantity of beds
that we have targeted. Rather, we have envisioned shelter programs that would
meet the immediate and transitional needs of single men, women and families.
Our vision statement encapsulates this idea:
Jericho Road Ministries, a Christian rescue mission,
will provide a network of emergency, transitional and permanent shelters to the
homeless and needy throughout the Tampa Bay region. Christian programs will
provide people the opportunity to learn and experience the transforming power
of God’s love in their struggle for self-sufficiency. In response to God’s
goodness and grace individually, the staff of Jericho Road Ministries will reach
out to the least and the lost among us, inviting them into our community,
offering them new hope and equipping them for a new future in the greater
community of Tampa Bay.
As
you can see, the vision statement looks beyond our immediate community needs
and envisions an organization that reaches out to the greater community in
which Hernando County is a part. Focusing on the needs of the homeless in
emergency and transitional programs allows us to meet their needs as defined by
those we serve. The quantity of people will be determined by the vision God has
for our Christian programs and by our faithfulness to sharing Christ Jesus as
Lord with all the people with which we have contact. In this way the quantity
of people will always be determined by God.
Today,
we have expanded our Men’s Shelter to 14 beds, the Women’s Shelter has 6 beds
and our three emergency/transitional residences provide 28 beds for families in
5 family unit rooms. Our Food Barn program supplies food to the residents of
all our shelters and to the community at large. Food is distributed once a
month to needy families at 6 locations: Ridge Manor, Brooksville, 3 Spring Hill
church sites and Hudson in Pasco County. This ministry reaches over 525
families (over 2,000 men, women & children) monthly. Our four Thrift Stores
provide opportunities for the community to support our work by shopping or
donating merchandise. The stores provide Work Skill Training and jobs for our
clients, community services work opportunities for the community and donations
to agencies helping others in need. Finally, our bi-monthly publication, News
From The Road, provides valuable information to the community about the needs
of the poor and homeless and how our agency and others are providing valuable
services to those individuals and families in need.
