Bethesda Mission has been blessed with approximately 100,000 square feet of facilities, located at four locations within the Harrisburg region, with which to achieve its overarching mission of reaching into our community one man, one woman, one child at a time, sharing the love of Christ in tangible ways.

Many of our guests enter our doors with similar experiences—difficult circumstances, pain, debilitating and insidious addictions and ailments, feeling alone and angry, lost and love-starved, and physically and emotionally drained.

But they also could not be more diverse—different homes, personalities, physical characteristics, perceptions, religions, beliefs, and abilities. The list goes on.

In Ephesians 3:18, Paul prays that his readers “may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

“In this measurement may you and I be skilled. If we know nothing of mathematics, may we be well-tutored scholars in this spiritual geometry, and be able to comprehend the breadths and depths of Jesus’ precious love” (Spurgeon).

This precious love, revealed in many, varied ways, draws our men, women, and children guests to consider how their lives can be changed into ones filled with real hope.

• God’s love is wide enough to include every person.
• God’s love is long enough to last through all eternity.
• God’s love is deep enough to reach the worst offender.
• God’s love is high enough to take us to heaven.

During our annual banquet in October, which focused on the theme,” Look What You’ve Done,” we shared phrases, images, and stories of impact from the past year. We are in awe of what God has done and continues to do through this 110-year-old House of Mercy.

As you visualize the breadth and depth of Bethesda Mission and its impact, consider how your gifts are and can be used to change lives—one man, one woman, one child at a time:

FOOD BANK

“Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10).

• Distributes 8 million pounds of food annually; 600,000 pounds monthly
• Serves our guests 450+ meals each day
• Delivers 1,500 food bags per month to rural areas surrounding Harrisburg through 70 strategic partnerships
• Supports Downtown Daily Bread and other local ministries

MOBILE MISSION

“Therefore, go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19).

• Provides thousands of meals to the street homeless on Friday and Saturday nights
• Makes 90+ trips annually
• Made possible by our incredible volunteers

MEDICAL & DENTAL CLINICS

“The LORD nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health” (Psalm 41:3).

• Offer comprehensive medical and dental care through doctors, dentists, and medical students
• Provide services at no cost to our guests
• Help develop individualized action plans for guests during intake

COMMUNITY CENTER

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18).

• Develops students’ 7 C’s (Skills and Attributes): Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Confidence, Care, and Character
• Invests in the future through after-school programs for 40 children and teens and summer programs for 60 youth
• Serves 50 local families

WOMEN’S MISSION

“The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works” (Psalm 145:9).

• Provides refuge and restoration for women and their children
• Produces hope and healing through long-term (~1 year) programs
• Currently shelters 32 women and 6 children each night

MEN’S MISSION

“Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:8).

• Shelters ~100 men nightly
• Serves 350+ meals each day (including our soup line)
• 70% of men are in recovery programs
• Provides 500+ veteran services annually

Psalm 107:8 describes our desire for all of our guests, including the many men who walk up those steps underneath the green cross, which shines each night over Harrisburg. That cross was donated by an orthodox Jewish family, who shared that they wanted to give the symbol to our Mission despite our differing faiths because our programs (made possible by your donations) saved their son’s life.

A FEW MORE FACTS

While the government continues to spend billions of dollars to solve the homeless crisis, Bethesda Mission is getting to the heart of the issue. Not only do we provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical and dental care to men and women experiencing homelessness and addiction, we also provide them with the tools to experience life recovery.

You can’t always control where your tax dollars go, but you can invest your charitable gifts in an organization that is truly making a difference—one man, one woman, one child at a time.

• We are completely community-funded; no money comes from the government.
• Your donation stays local; you are investing directly into your community.
• 88% of funding goes straight to programs, helped by hundreds of volunteers.
• We’re seeing results: men and women are graduating from our life recovery programs every year and going back into society as independent, contributing members.

Most of all, we are committed to seeing permanent change take place in the lives of men, women, and children in Harrisburg. This is only possible through God’s grace and the generosity of members of our community like you; your donation makes a tangible difference in the lives of those in need.

I want to close our Christmas appeal by honoring you and all of our donors. You are both a shareholder and a stakeholder in this ministry. Your gifts are an investment into the lives of hurting men, women, and children, those who have many times been written off by society.

May God bless your lives this holiday season!

Scott Dunwoody
Executive Director