Our Love. Our Mission.

Urban Mission provides food, shelter and other essential services to the low income population of the Upper Ohio River Valley. Founded in 1959 as “Mill Men’s Hostel,” an outreach to troubled workers in the local steel industry, Urban Mission has grown to become the largest charity in the region.

In 2008, Urban Mission distributed 869,284 pounds of groceries to 1,556 low income households in Ohio and West Virginia, served 18,921 hot meals in the Soup Kitchen and housed 208 children and adults in our Hutton House Homeless Shelter.

Demand for Urban Mission’s services increased dramatically in 2008, as various aspects of the economy put even greater economic pressure on those living at the bottom of America’s economic ladder. Urban Mission’s services are totally free of charge to the recipients. See Urban Mission’s 1999 - 2007 Annual Reports on the "Calendar" page.

Volunteers gave 48,437 hours of service to Urban Mission in 2008. Urban Mission received national recognition as a Point of Light Award recipient in the past, an acknowledgement for excellence in community service.  The Mission also won the Second Harvest Food Bank award for the most diverse set of services.  Most recently, Urban Mission received the Poverello Medal from Franciscan University for service to the poor though Christian Charity.

Originally founded as an outreach of the United Methodist Church, Urban Mission now enjoys broad based community support from individuals, business, industry, health care providers and educational institutions. Today, churches of over 25 different denominations contribute to Urban Mission as an ongoing expression of God’s compassion for the poor.

Urban Mission is committed to serving the low income population without regard for age, race, nationality, gender, religious belief or other distinguishing characteristics.