Crossroads Center

Crossroads Center was founded in 1983 in Hastings, NE.  It began as a soup kitchen with a one room sleeping quarter. Our Kearney location opened on February 1, 2012.  Today, we offer services at 2 locations: 702 West 14th Street, Hastings, Ne and 1404 E 39th Street, Kearney, Ne.  Every day we can serve up to 154 individuals.  The Hastings location can serve 112 individuals and the Kearney location can serve 42 individuals each and every day. 

Crossroads Center is not a hand out - it is a helping hand.  The proven 4-phase program empowers the guests living at the mission 6 weeks of life skills classes including:  Nutrition, Financial Peace, Healthy Relationships, Boundaries, and Bible Studies.  Weekly meetings with Case Managers are a vital part of our program, as it holds the guests accountable for:  time management, legal, medical issues and other issues that lead the guests to homelessness. 

 

After these initial 6 weeks are completed, guests enter into Phase 2, which is the Employment Phase.  During this Phase guests must apply for employment and secure a job.  They must maintain their employment for 30 days.  During this phase they must continue to work with their Program Director on a weekly basis. 

 

Phase 3; Guests continue their employment and begin their financial piece.  Now and through out their stay they must save a minimum of $1,000 and pay down a minimum of $2,000 in debit.  They must contact all their creditors and establish a repayment program.  This allows them to get excited about paying down their debts, so when they are no longer living at the mission they will not have previous debts as an obstacle. 

 

Phase 4 - Leadership Phase is actually acquired and cultivated from the beginning.  We look for leadership qualities in every guest who walks through our doors.  We ask them to take responsibilities within the mission, such as chores in the following areas:  kitchen, laundry, grounds, donations or cleaning.  By having the guests take responsibility, they are learning new tasks and then mentoring to new guests just arriving at the mission.  

 

By the time they have finished all 4 phases, they have identified and taken care of the issues that brought them to homelessness.  During their stay, they have learned and implemented new skills they will be able to utilize and share with others.