Happy Anniversary!!

This month Cherry Street Mission Ministries turned 60 years old!

We began our ministry on June 14, 1947. Jesse and Bertha Fleck who were, by their own admission in a letter dated June 17, 1951, had lived in relative comfort most of their lives not feeling as though they had done much for God. Having decided to live out the balance of their lives serving God by serving others, they and a handful of friends began to serve food to men on skid row a few nights a week. Their first building was on Cherry Street and before too long they were serving meals every night of the week. By the first anniversary of Cherry Street Mission, they were putting men up in a nearby motel so they wouldn't have to sleep on the streets.

On June 29, 1949 they bought several cots and put them up in the back room behind where they served meals - there wasn't money enough for mattresses, so the men slept on cardboard on top of the springs of the cot.

The rest, as we say, is history. 60 years later, from our humble beginnings on Cherry Street we now serve more than 700 meals a day, shelter on average 180 men and women each night, and serve the community through five different ministry sites.

Today, June 30 2007, we celebrated our anniversary with a community picnic. I'm not sure how many people came out to help us celebrate, but we served hamburgers and hot dogs four hours straight with no gap in the serving line. What a great picnic it was, Tom Clappsaddle from the Toledo Gospel Rescue Mission brought his 'weenie wagon' and cooked up the hot dogs all day long, while dancers from Foundation Stone Christian Center worshipped God in style. Then there was a drummer and dance corp that entertained and excited the crowd and of course a few members of our staff sang and gave testimony to God's greatness.

There were games, face painting, inflatables for the kids, great music and a chance for everyone to connect and have a good time.

I thank God every time I think about the humility of the Flecks and the tremendous risk they took and sacrifice they made just so someone had a place to eat and sleep.

Jesse and Bertha passed on their Heritage and have honored us with the responsibility to live the Legacy of service!

Dan Rogers