Must Ministries Inc

SERVING NEIGHBORS IN NEED AND TRANSFORMING LIVES AND COMMUNITIES IN RESPONSE TO CHRIST'S CALL. WORKING TO HELP INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN NEED, MUST MINISTRIES PROVIDES:-DAY SERVICE CENTERS TO PROVIDE FOOD, CLOTHING, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, INTERVIEW, ASSESSMENT AND REFERRAL SERVICES.-INTEGRATED HOUSING PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO HELPING RESIDENTS BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY.- MOBILE MUST AND NEIGHBORHOOD PANTRY PROGRAMS PROVIDES FOOD IN NEIGHBORHOODS & SCHOOLS.

MUST HOUSING PROGRAMS SUPPORT CLIENTS IN FOUR CORE AREAS ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS AND AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS. 1) THE MUST HOPE HOUSE EMERGENCY SHELTER PROVIDES SHELTER FOR MEN, WOMEN AND FAMILIES WHO ARE LIVING IN HOMELESSNESS. 2) MUST'S EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAM PROVIDES RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND WAS DRAMATICALLY EXPANDED DURING THE PANDEMIC. 3) MUST'S PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM PROVIDES LONGER-TERM STABLE HOUSING FOR THOSE WHO ARE DISABLED AND CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, INCLUDING VETERANS. 4) MUST'S TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND RAPID RE-HOUSING PROGRAMS PROVIDE RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO THOSE WHO WERE LIVING IN HOMELESSNESS AND THOSE AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS.MUST HOPE HOUSE EMERGENCY SHELTER PROVIDED SHELTER TO 2,384 PERSONS WITH 69,105 BED NIGHTS AND SERVED AN ADDITIONAL 1,061 HOMELESS OUTREACH CLIENTS WITH FOOD AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES DURING FY23. OUR SHELTER OFFERS A 30-DAY STAY AND CONNECTS CLIENTS TO CAREER-BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES AND CASE MANAGEMENT TO ASSIST IN CREATING A HOUSING STABILITY PLAN. 1,875 CLIENTS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ENTERED A HOUSING STABILITY PLAN AND 1,422 CLIENTS COMPLETED ONE GOAL TOWARD SELF-SUFFICIENCY (OBTAINED EMPLOYMENT, QUALIFIED FOR HOUSING, OR OBTAINED ONE MAINSTREAM BENEFIT). IN ADDITION, CLIENTS RECEIVED APPROPRIATE REFERRALS TO SERVICES FOR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. MUST EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAM WAS EXPANDED DUE TO THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND ASSISTED 1,712 PERSONS WITH MORE THAN $8 MILLION OF RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE FUNDED THROUGH THE CARES ACT AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY.MUST PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM SERVED 189 INDIVIDUALS WITH 54,813 BED NIGHTS IN LONG-TERM STABLE HOUSING WITH CASE MANAGEMENT, MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION (GED PROGRAM) AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES. THESE SERVICES WERE RENDERED IN COBB, CHEROKEE AND PAULDING COUNTIES TO HELP INDIVIDUALS AND VETERANS MOVE TOWARD SELF-SUFFICIENCY WITH STABLE HOUSING, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND FINANCIAL BENEFITS.MUST TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND RAPID RE-HOUSING PROGRAMS PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE LIVING IN HOMELESSNESS OR FACING THE RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS THROUGH EVICTION. THE TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HELPS CLIENTS WITH INCOME LIMITS OF 80% OR LOWER OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME (AMI) LEVELS. THE RAPID RE-HOUSING PROGRAM FOCUSES ON THOSE CLIENTS WITH INCOME LIMITS OF 50% OR LOWER OF THE AMI LEVELS. THE PROGRAMS SUCCESSFULLY HOUSED CLIENTS IN COBB, CHEROKEE, BARTOW, DOUGLAS, PAULDING AND PICKENS COUNTIES. OF THE 205 CLIENTS SERVED, MORE THAN 90% WERE STABLY HOUSED UPON COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM.

MUST CLIENT SERVICES PROVIDES FOOD, HOUSING, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, CLOTHING, HYGIENE PRODUCTS, CASE MANAGEMENT, ADULT HEALTHCARE AND OTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH LITTLE TO NO INCOME. WITH THE HELP OF THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS, 1,138,163 POUNDS OF GROCERIES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO 26,703 INDIVIDUALS AND 175,203 CLOTHING ITEMS WERE GIVEN FREE OF CHARGE TO 7,532 INDIVIDUALS. MUST HELPED 1,725 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING JOB READINESS AND INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC TRAINING. AS A RESULT OF OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, 812 INDIVIDUALS OBTAINED EMPLOYMENT RESULTING IN MORE THAN $26.6 MILLION IN GROSS INCOME RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY. MUST MOBILE THE MUST MOBILE PROGRAM DELIVERS HEALTHY FOOD TO PEOPLE IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS WHO ARE CHALLENGED BY DIFFICULTIES WITH POVERTY, UNEMPLOYMENT AND LACK OF TRANSPORTATION. SERVING CLIENTS IN A MORE MOBILE WAY THAN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PANTRY, OUR MUST MOBILE PROGRAM DELIVERS FOOD TO PEOPLE ACROSS METROPOLITAN COUNTIES, MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHERE THEY LIVE AND HELPING TO OVERCOME TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS. THIS PROGRAM DELIVERS FRESH, HEALTHY FOOD IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS AND FOOD DESERTS. THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OUR CLIENT FAMILIES HAVE IN RECEIVING ASSISTANCE FROM EXISTING FOOD PANTRIES IS TRANSPORTATION. MANY LOW-INCOME FAMILIES DO NOT HAVE VEHICLES, AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN MANY AREAS IS SCANT. AS MANY AS 65% OF OUR CLIENT FAMILIES HAVE TROUBLE MAKING IT TO OUR EXISTING 20 SCHOOL PANTRIES TO PICK UP THEIR GROCERIES. THE MUST MOBILE PROGRAM IMPROVES THE HEALTH AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES. WHEN FOOD IS BROUGHT TO AN AREA CLOSER TO LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS, IT ELIMINATES TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES AS WELL AS MINIMIZES THE COMMUTE AND GAS USE. IT ALSO FREES UP GROCERY MONEY THAT CAN BE SPENT ON OTHER ESSENTIAL ITEMS SUCH AS SHELTER, UTILITIES OR OTHER BILLS. THIS PROGRAM IS MOST HELPFUL TO THE FAMILIES UNDER THE GREATEST STRESS IN FOOD DESERTS. MUST MOBILE IS A FARMER'S MARKET STYLE VEHICLE IN WHICH PRODUCE, MEAT, DAIRY AND OTHER FOOD ITEMS ARE BROUGHT TO 11 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN 4 COUNTIES MONTHLY. LOCATIONS INCLUDE SCHOOLS, THE VA CLINIC, CHURCHES, APARTMENT COMPLEXES, EXTENDED STAYS, ETC. - ANYWHERE THAT PEOPLE NEED HELP. DURING FY23, A TOTAL OF 22,109 (96% INCREASE OVER FY22) CLIENTS AND 1.4 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD AND TOILETRIES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO FAMILIES.

NEIGHBORHOOD PANTRYTHE MUST NEIGHBORHOOD PANTRY IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO SERVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN CRISIS. THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OUR CLIENT FAMILIES HAVE IN RECEIVING ASSISTANCE FROM EXISTING FOOD PANTRIES IS TRANSPORTATION. MANY LOW-INCOME FAMILIES DO NOT HAVE VEHICLES, AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN MANY AREAS IS SCANT. AS MANY AS 65% OF OUR CLIENT FAMILIES HAVE TROUBLE MAKING IT TO OUR EXISTING SCHOOL PANTRIES TO PICK UP THEIR GROCERIES. THE PROGRAM OPERATES IN 20 PANTRIES (19 SCHOOLS AND 1 CHURCH) OPERATING IN COBB & CHEROKEE. EACH SCHOOL PANTRY SERVES A CLUSTER OF NEARBY SCHOOLS, RESULTING IN SERVICE TO STUDENTS IN APPROXIMATELY 100 SCHOOLS. ONCE A MONTH, INCLUDING SUMMER, THESE FAMILIES COME TO THEIR SCHOOL PANTRY TO SELECT FOOD, TOILETRIES, MEAT, AND FRESH PRODUCE FOR THEIR FAMILY. SERVING OVER 400 HOUSEHOLDS IN A TYPICAL MONTH, THE STUDENTS ARE IDENTIFIED BY A LIAISON WHO IS EITHER A SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER, GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, OR ACADEMIC COACH. THEY ARE THE NEEDIEST STUDENTS WHO ARE MOST AT RISK: HOMELESS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED BY THEIR PARENTS, FAMILIES WITH LIFE-ALTERING ILLNESSES, FAMILIES WITH RECENT UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE WORKING POOR. DURING THE 2022-2023 FISCAL YEAR, OVER 8,100 CLIENTS WERE SERVED REPRESENTING A 58% INCREASE OVER THE LAST FISCAL YEAR. A TOTAL OF 443,829 POUNDS OF FOOD AND TOILETRIES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO AT-RISK STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.