Springfield Victory Mission, Inc.

Springfield Victory Mission began in 1976 when Reverend and Mrs. Everett Cook started serving sandwiches and coffee from the back of their station wagon, as they reached out with the Gospel to homeless men and women on the town Square. In the early 1980's buildings on Commercial Street were purchased as a permanent location and men's shelter. Incorporated in 1984, Springfield Victory Mission began to operate with a board of directors and an Executive Director. Residential shelter and programs for women were added 1992 with the opening of Victory House. An office building was purchased in 1998 housing our executive offices and Family Outreach Ministires. It also contains offices and dorm rooms for our trade school and laboratory restaurant. Victory Trade School began in 2003, teaching formerly homeless men life skills and providing vocational training in the culinary and hospitatillity industries. The Cook's Kettle Restaurant serves as a learning laboratory for the trade school students as well as a public restaurant for the community. In 2006 a former nursing home was purchased and opened as Victory Square . This tripled the number of beds available for men and allowed us to increase our programs for helping men become self-sustaining. Victory Square also provides additional offices and dorm rooms. Today the Mission serves the greater Springfield area as a non-profit, evangelical Christian organization, managed by a local Board of Directors. Our job is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as we provide families, men, women and youth with emergency, with transitional and educational services that lead to long-term rehabilitation, restoration and re-entry into society as functional, productive individuals. Source: www.victorymission.com