29 Jul Backstreet Missions Merger
Following unanimous votes by both Boards of Directors, Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis and Backstreet Missions in Bloomington officially merged on October 1, 2015.
For twenty years, Backstreet Missions has served the homeless and marginalized citizens of the greater Bloomington area with compassion and love. Upon President Lindy Kelley’s decision to retire at the end of 2015 and her desire to leave the work that she and late husband Gene started in 1995 in good hands, the conclusion to merge Backstreet with Wheeler Mission was a natural solution.
Although Wheeler will be assuming the day-to-day operations, the quality of service Backstreet has provided the poor and homeless of our community for the past twenty years will remain.
The relationships within the community that Gene and Linda Kelley have built over the past twenty years, along with their compassion for the homeless, will provide a legacy that will only enhance Wheeler’s presence in the area.
Backstreet brings much more than 20 years of experience to this merger. They, like Wheeler, are faith-based ministries with a strong Biblical emphasis on service to the poor and homeless. From their inception in 1995, Backstreet has been singularly focused on the long-term recovery of homeless men and women in all aspects of their lives – physically, mentally, emotionally, and most important, spiritually.
The merger will also create a number of efficiencies as many ancillary services such as accounting, fundraising, maintenance and housekeeping, and human resources will be shared.
Wheeler has had a presence in the Bloomington area since 1953 through Camp Hunt, which now serves as the location for their Addiction Recovery Program. These resources will now be wrapped around the existing recovery services for men that are currently being offered through Backstreet.