St. Martin Outreach Program

From the Chair, Pastor Don McKee, Our Savior's Lutheran Church

For over 35 years the St. Martin Outreach Program has been helping people in need. A recurring need is helping the homeless with housing. As we struggled to help find suitable housing, we continued to look for ways to help. Many years ago, St. Martin applied for a 5013c status in hopes to receive larger donations. We have partnered with Prairie Five Community Action Council for several years to help administer these emergency funds.

In 2022, a path forward was found. The First Congregational Church in Montevideo decided that part of its ministry had ended but wanted the building to continue to be a blessing to the community. The members wanted to see it become more than just another apartment building. Thus, they began to look for partners with a vision and they discovered the St. Martin’s Board. Together, we found a path forward and thus, Heritage Haven was born out of a vision for future transitional housing for people in need. The St. Martin’s Board accepted the gift of the First Congregation Church property and it’s $40,000 assets from an insurance settlement. 

The path forward now includes the St. Martin’s Emergency Fund and Heritage Haven. The Emergency Fund continues to be administered through Prairie Five Community Action Council. Heritage Haven is administered by a board of local people all working to help with transitional housing. Nearly $100,000 of the $750,000 goal has been raised locally for Heritage Haven. One local member decided to sell a rental property giving the proceeds to help with this journey.

Heritage Haven, when completed; will have eight sleeping rooms with one twin size bed and bunkbeds. The plan is t provide housing to those in need for up to 30 days. Showers and bathrooms will be centrally located on the main level. Individuals staying at Heritage Haven may choose to prepare their own meals in the basement kitchen or receive meals through Prairie Five’s Meals on Wheels program. The basement will also provide meeting rooms where individuals can meet with organizations to secure long-term housing, employment, register for school and to discuss financial concerns. The building offers an elevator, so it is handicapped accessible. A local bus stop is also available on site if residents need to travel throughout the city of Montevideo.

Ron Gilbertson, a local licensed general contractor, has agreed to help with the Heritage Haven project. We hope to work with local businesses and their employees to get the work done. The local Sentence to Service program helped with the demolition phase of the project. A new metal roof was installed the summer of 2024 with a contractor who happily donated all the labor, saving thousands of dollars. This metal roof will serve this mission for many years.

The path forward needs your help to complete this amazing project. Heritage Haven will benefit our community and help individuals and families during the time of transition. Our name says it all. Heritage is to thank and remember all the great members of the First Congregational Church who initiated this path. Haven is for our new guests. It is to their haven as they move forward in their path. 

Please give generously so we can keep moving forward on this project and help those in need.