Our model of compassion at The City Mission is Jesus Christ. When He lived here on earth, He reached out in love to the poor and hurting of His day and taught His followers to do the same.

He told us in Matthew 25 that His true followers would have a concern for the needy: to visit the sick, clothe the naked and feed the hungry. He said that whenever we show compassion to the "least" of these we are in fact doing it unto Him. He rebuked His followers for trying to keep children away from Him and embraced them with open arms of love. He associated with social outcasts and other "sinners" and reached out to people across all the cultural and ethnic barriers of His day.

Jesus was not in the business of giving handouts; rather He offered people a hand up. He never condoned destructive lifestyles; instead He offered divine forgiveness, hope and the chance to start over again. He warned that the choice to follow Him would not be easy; it would involve sacrifice and hardship. But He said that the rewards for faithfulness would be great and He promised to always be with His followers.

Because Christ's love leads us, we feed, clothe and shelter the poor and homeless of our community here at The City Mission. We provide care for the sick, and visit men and women in prison. We work to break down the sinful structures of our society of class division and racial prejudice. We seek to prevent the conditions that lead to homelessness by welcoming "at-risk" children into our youth programs.

We offer a hand up to those who are trapped in destructive lifestyles by providing long-term rehabilitation programs. When individuals make the choice to change, they begin a process which, through hard work and discipline, can lead to a rich and fulfilling life. Those who embrace Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord find the strength to overcome their problems as they experience His presence in their lives and are filled with hope for the future.

This is what The City Mission is all about!