Ministry on the Margins serves over 1,000 people a week through prison ministry, prison re-entry, food pantry, street outreach, behavioral health collaboration with law enforcement, second chance hiring initiatives, and a nighttime low-barrier coffee house. The SuperGrant was awarded at a gathering of Foundation donors, committee members, and community leaders at Ministry on the Margins on September 28, 2022.

The SuperGrant will be used to transition the nighttime Coffee House from a pilot project to a permanent program. Ministry on the Margins opened a pilot project on February 1, 2022, to assess the need and viability of a coffee house as a model to meet the need for a low-barrier shelter which would accept people who may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs or may be excluded from other shelters due to background issues. They hired and trained employees to serve as hospitality coordinators, ensuring that there are always a minimum of two people working, and established operating hours of 10:00 pm to 6:00 am.

During the pilot project (February to May 2022), 231 men and women were served, with a total 2,805 nights of shelter offered. During the April 11-15, 2022, blizzard Ministry on the Margins remained open for 92 consecutive hours offering safety and food to 129 individuals caught in the shutdown of other agencies. The pilot project also highlighted the crucial need for collaboration with law enforcement, behavioral health agencies, local emergency rooms, and addiction support agencies.

The SuperGrant will help pay for renovations and updates to the Coffee House space and chapel; security and safety technology and training; staff laptop for logging intake, events, and incidents; and a stationary projector and laptop for displaying movies during Coffee House hours.