FAQ about Memphis Union Mission
Does a person have to be a Christian in order to receive services?
Is Memphis Union Mission tied to any particular church or denomination?
Is Memphis Union Mission strictly a local organization?
How many staff does the Mission have?
Does the Mission charge for its services?
Why do you make chapel attendance mandatory for homeless people to eat?
Didn't the Mission lose government funding over this issue?
Does a person have to be a Christian in order to receive services?
No. Memphis Union Mission does not withhold its services on the basis of race, religion,
or nationality.
Is Memphis Union Mission tied to any particular church or denomination?
Although Memphis Union Mission is a Christian ministry, we are not tied to any particular church or denomination. In fact, we enjoy support and involvement from a wide variety of congregations.
Is Memphis Union Mission strictly a local organization?
Yes. Like most rescue missions, Memphis Union Mission is autonomous and governed by a local Board of Directors. All funds received stay within Memphis and Shelby County.
How many staff does the Mission have?
Ministry-wide, Memphis Union Mission employs 35 individuals.
Does the Mission charge for its services?
Most of Memphis Union Mission's services are provided free of charge. Our residential recovery programs are free. Furthermore, most of our emergency services, including clothing, hygiene, and food, are also free.
Overnight guests who have elected not to enter a recovery program receive four free nights each month. Once they have used up their monthly free nights, they do pay $6 a night, which includes dinner, overnight stay, and breakfast the following morning.
Overnight guests always stay for free on nights when it is 32 degrees or below. Furthermore, we are able to provide work referrals for guests who are willing to work, and we honor vouchers from several area churches and ministries.
We are structured this way because we do not want to enable our guests. Instead, we want to encourage them to take positive steps to better their situations, including finding employment and/or confronting issues that have landed them on the streets.
Why do you make chapel attendance mandatory for homeless people to eat?
Asking our guests to sit through a brief chapel service before eating a free lunch is not asking too much. Many service providers in Memphis do not require chapel attendance. Therefore, guests who object to our chapel services have other options available. Conversely, those who don't object participate in our services without reserve. In fact, many of our guests come to the Mission precisely because they like the chapel services.
More importantly, we know that the chapel services have had an impact on so many lives. We can relate story after story of men and women who have received Christ and experienced a total transformation, and it all began in a typical chapel service.
Didn't the Mission lose government funding over this issue?
At one time, Memphis Union Mission received USDA food subsidies. However, the Mission was disqualified from this program in August, 2000, when the USDA discovered that we make chapel attendance mandatory. The Mission has not changed its policy, and neither has the USDA. Ultimately, friends like you have made up the difference, so we are fine without the government's help!
