Food, Water, Air, Shelter & Jesus to Our Community in Need

First, we share the good news/gospel. We also do the following for, what Matthew 25 called, “the least of these” (older adults, low-income families, single mothers, those living with mental illness, those struggling with substance use, etc.): pay rent or utilities in emergency situations provide transportation to return people to their home community connect to recovery programs employ with landscaping serves 6 hot meals per week (25 churches plus several community organizations prepare and serve these meals) hand out groceries provide emergency shelter for men experiencing homelessness provide transportation vouchers for health care and rehab visits purchase clothes for people to work pay for birth certificates and IDs for people to get jobs host community resource events, including representatives for health insurance, mental health recovery services, rural veterans, in- and outpatient drug recovery, and more. pay for prescriptions in emergencies provide blankets, gloves, and hats for winter purchase mattresses and other necessities for newly housed people These services help provide emergency aid, reduce the number of people on the streets, and prevent future problems.

Sugartree Ministries works closely with local law enforcement, addiction services, the Clinton County Homeless Shelter, Hope House, counseling, and other humanitarian nonprofits in the area.

No. For those suffering from addiction, recovery can take months or even years. Furthermore, many of the people that receive help from Sugartree Ministries are living with disabilities and utilize our services for the long term. For many of these people, Sugartree Ministries is much more than food, it is a loving support system that they may not have elsewhere.

No. The vast majority of people utilizing services at Sugartree Ministries are from the Wilmington/Clinton County area. A minority of people are from other communities, and when possible, Sugartree Ministries tries to get them back to their home community. There have been a small number of cases where law enforcement officials from other communities have driven people to Wilmington. City officials are aware of this and have taken measures to stop it.

No. In fact, Sugartree Ministries prefers that those who need help stay in their own community. That is where they are most likely to have support from loved ones. Sugartree Ministries spends hundreds of dollars each year sending those in need back into their home communities. We frequently buy bus tickets and/or drive people back to their communities.

We have a thriving landscaping service that employs recovering addicts and formerly homeless people. We host mental health agencies and health insurance agencies, as well as other service agencies, at various mealtimes at Sugartree Ministries. We offer vouchers to people using public transportation for mental health and addiction service appointments. We offer groceries and six hot meals a week, available on site at the ministry or by delivery for people with limited mobility or lack of transportation. In some cases, we offer temporary housing for people who are unable to access affordable housing.

This is the house that Sugartree Ministries rents. Several recovering male addicts, who suffer from a variety of physical and mental health issues, live there. If these men did not live there, they would most likely be on the street. Two responsible men live there and oversee the house.

Absolutely! We have welcomed visitors since we first opened in the late 1990s. You can come and see or volunteer with us anytime.

We are funded by individual donations and occasionally grants from corporations and nonprofit organizations such as the United Way, Walmart, Health First, and Amazon.

The board is comprised of people who are dedicated to helping those in need in and around Wilmington. They come from all walks of life and include a retired air force officer, a legal secretary, a local farmer, a former missionary, a recovery pastor, the former director of Sugartree Ministries, a retired college math professor and church elder, a law student and mom, a current local law enforcement officer, and a current college professor and author.