ABOUT
Our Vision
To provide access to every opportunity that an individual may need to move toward a life of health and wholeness.
Our Mission
Eradicate poverty: body (physical poverty), mind (soul poverty), and spirit (spiritual poverty).
Through the power of Jesus Christ and the participation of the individual, we provide access to opportunities that connect people to resources to create health and community sustainability in 3 ways: reliable income, safe and affordable housing, and healthy relationships.
Our Core Values:
Some of the behaviors you will see lived out through our programs and services by our staff include the following core values:
- Christ centered -> We look at people and situations through the lens of Christ and then behave accordingly.
Galatians 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
- Relational -> Our work is delighting in the eye-to-eye moments with people and relentlessly pursuing health with them.
Matthew 25:40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
- Innovative -> We are willing to try new things to creatively work inside complex systems.
Genesis 1:27 So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
- Solution oriented -> The answer is “yes” because God’s abundance overflows from every cup, the solution is there, we get to discover it and show it off.
Psalm 50:15 “Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”
- Gritty -> Like the process of refining gold, the process of redemption gets messy and difficult before it becomes beautiful and rewarding. We find God in people’s lives, including our own, when we’re willing to walk through the difficult times, in order to see the beauty on the other side.
Joshua 1:9 “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go”
James 2:14-17 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Our Staff
CEO/President
Ann Ebbert
419.214.4160
Executive Assistant
Lesley Watson
419.214.3010
Chief Operating Officer
Steve Piller
419.214.4038
VP of Programs and Services
Savannah Rayford
419.214.3713
Vice President of Operations
Kurtis Tallman
419. 214.4062
Vice President of Workforce Development
Tami Norris
567.661.0362
Program Manager
Nora Riggs
419.214.3879
Donor Relations Manager
Andrea Casteel
419.214.3312
Operations Manager
Kary Jo Gribble
419.214.3322
Guest Services Manager
Thomas Fowler
419.214.0015
Residential Housing Manager
Nick Casteel
419.214.3998
Volunteer Coordinator
Kelsey Bailey
419.214.3419
Mrs. Ann Ebbert
President & CEO
Cherry Street Mission Ministries
Mr. Joshua Rochon
Chairman
TDC Investment Advisory
Mr. John C. Wagner
Member At-Large
E.S. Wagner Company
Mr. Houston Young
Vice Chair
Owens Corning
Mrs. Janell Vickers
Secretary
Retired, Mercy Health & Owens Corning
Mrs. Tina Kern
Treasurer
Huntington National Bank
Ms. Laura Rerucha
Director
Professional EOS Implementer, EOS Worldwide
Pastor Ben Snyder
Director
Cedar Creek Church
Mr. Timothy Stansfield
Director
IET, Inc.
Mrs. Christine Sweeney
Director
Art Tatum Zone, Executive Director and The Tabernacle, Pastor
Mr. Todd Parker
Director
Owens Corning
Ms. Rachel Gagnon
Director
Lucas Metropolitan Housing
Mr. Carter Bayer
Director
Concept Rehab, Inc.
Mrs. Shirley Trail
Director
Retired, ProMedica
Humble Beginnings
Jessie and Bertha Fleck founded Cherry Street Mission Ministries in 1947, their calling was to provide people in need with sustenance for the body and nourishment for the soul. Named for its location on Cherry Street in Toledo, the mission provided meals, housing, and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the poor and homeless.
A Wide Footprint
Cherry Street serves those living in poverty throughout our region. As the largest entity acting as a homeless shelter, Cherry Street has been here of the community for generations. Within those years, our focus has expanded beyond basic needs, like food and shelter; to plan development and a continuum of care. Similarly, our area of responsibility has expanded to include more rural counties and areas outside of the central city. Simply put, poverty occurs all across northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
Hungry For Change
Cherry Street Mission Ministries is moving beyond the basics. Those served at Cherry Street need a meal, a bed, AND are still hungry. They are Hungry for Change, Hungry for Direction, Hungry for a Career, or Hungry for Success. Cherry Street has created a unique economy to incentivize personal development and positive movement forward toward stability.
Doing More Together
Cherry Street Mission Ministries is moving beyond the basics. Those served at Cherry Street need a meal, a bed, AND are still hungry. They are Hungry for Change, Hungry for Direction, Hungry for a Career, or Hungry for Success. Cherry Street has created a unique economy to incentivize personal development and positive movement forward toward stability.
Our Ministry's Promise
We take your support seriously. When you give to Cherry Street Mission Ministries, you are giving to an organization that is committed to using your resources wisely and efficiently. We operate with a lean staff, relaying on volunteer labor and donated goods whenever possible, and undergo voluntary audits every year.
In 1947, Jessie and Bertha Fleck founded Cherry Street Mission Ministries, their calling was to provide people in need with sustenance for the body and nourishment for the soul. Named for its location on Cherry Street in Toledo, the mission provided meals, housing, and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the poor and homeless.
The Flecks, who should have been enjoying their retirement, instead focused on the needs of others. They sold their home and moved into the shelter. At first they provided only sandwiches. But soon grew to offer a place to sleep at night too. The original beds used at Cherry Street were a donation from BGSU dormitories.
Cherry Street Mission Ministries (CSMM) has served those experiencing homelessness or poverty in their life. The doors are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide food, clothing, shelter, and other vital services including: work force development training, resource networking, access to services and program assistance.
Throughout 2022, Cherry Street will pause to remember the past 75 years. The year will be dotted with sharing memories, fostering fresh conversations and; of course; celebrations! Please accept our open invitation to join the revelries.
