Appropriations Requests for : Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan

1. Cosponsoring legislators:

No Cosponsors

Recipient Information

2. Intended legislatively directed spending item recipient:

Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan

3. Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity:

Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan is located at 1021 Burt St., Saginaw, MI 48607 and is serving as the fiduciary for this grant. The Higher Purpose project is 2100-2300 blocks of Hammel St, Saginaw, MI 48601. The One Week One Street project is located in an area known as “The Woods”. This year the focus is on the 1900-2000 blocks of Maplewood Ave, Collingwood Ave, and Hazelwood Ave, Saginaw, MI 48601.

4. The recipient's employer identification number:

38-1368362

Funding Details

5. Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item:

$100,000.00

6. What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?

In 2021 Rescue Ministries became acutely aware of the lack of quality affordable housing available for our guests transitioning into permanent housing. According to a 2020 Housing Analysis 93% of the City of Saginaw housing units are over 50 years old. The City of Saginaw has neighborhoods that need to be empowered to make choices regarding safety and aesthetics. The first organization Rescue Ministries Higher Purpose project collaborated with was One Week, One Street. OWOS hosts an annual week-long neighborhood revitalization effort. Their focus has been on the east side of Saginaw in an area known as the “Woods.” As a result, crime has gradually reduced by 80% in the neighborhood since 2011. We strengthened our relationship with One Week, One Street by helping build their capacity to raise more funds and help remove blight and repair homes in the “Woods” neighborhood. OWOS has never had a permanent office location or a place to store tools and equipment used in their neighborhood revitalization efforts. They are now housed in the Higher Purpose building. Additionally, they are maintaining a “tool crib” on site. Local neighbors stop by and borrow at no charge a mower, weed wacker, or other landscaping equipment to maintain their own properties. Rescue Ministries staff have participated in the OWOS neighborhood “Woods” revitalization efforts for the last three years. Our staff has worked on four homes. One house our staff focused on blight removal, removed a porch that was ready to collapse and installed new siding on the home adding 20 years’ life to the home. The owner inherited it from her mother. She was so discouraged that she wanted to abandon the home. Now, she has a new hope for her home and is stably housed. Neighborhood renewal programs in cities all over our nation have repeatedly failed as one-size-fits-all cookie-cutter programs are introduced in struggling communities. These failing programs often hire outside developers that are more focused on creating profit than strengthening the community. Higher Purpose and OWOS operate on the premise that people living in existing neighborhoods have a pretty good grasp on the things they believe will enhance the place where they live. This does not mean that they have prioritized written plans, but it does mean they have a good grasp on the things around them that they do not like, and they have a sense about things that could be aesthetically pleasing, and the things that would help them feel safe and value their homes. During 2025 the two neighborhood revitalization projects resulted in 51 homes in the City of Saginaw receiving improvements… 18 on Whittier St and 33 on Maplewood Ave. Over 200 volunteers participated in the revitalization projects. In addition to the neighborhood revitalization efforts Higher Purpose hosts career fairs and life skills classes. Our Household Assistance Manager provided case management services to 107 individuals and partnered with over 50 local organizations. Staff and volunteers assisted 32 families with furniture needs. Planning is underway to host two annual neighborhood revitalization projects in 2026. One will be spearheaded by OWOS and one by Higher Purpose in two totally separate neighborhoods of the city. An estimated 70 property owners will be impacted by these two projects.

7. Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?

No previous funding received

8. Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project:

7 Months

Additional Information For Nonprofit Corporations

9. Is the recipient a nonprofit corporation?

Yes

4. Officers and active members on the board of directors:

Charles Lange, Christopher Pryor, Steven M. Hensley, Jami L. Kinzer, Pat Curry, Jeff Englehart, Richard J. Frontjes, Michael G. Hayes, Ernestine Rimmer, Jeremy Tatum, Rita Truss, Doug Williams

Certification By Sponsoring Legislator

• "I certify that my immediate family members, legislative staff members, and I have no direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the requested legislatively directed spending item."
• "I certify that the intended recipient of this legislatively directed spending item is not a for-profit entity."
• "I certify that the information in this form is true to the best of my knowledge."

Senator Chedrick Greene