Bethel was formed in 2006. In 2006 a local church had received a review from their District that made suggestions for their ministries for the next 5 years. One of those suggestions was to become more involved and intentional in local missions. At this same time the Bethel Director was planning on stepping aside and would be leaving the area to pursue another calling. The Director asked if the church would be interested in helping with Bethel. The goal and focus at that time was to engage men in the area and train them with construction skills. That was done by purchasing properties that needed rehabbing. That effort did not move forward as anticipated. When the church got involved there was a $40,000.00 line of credit & 3 properties to sell. They were depending on God to turn things around. A retired teacher and member of the church stepped in as an unpaid Director. Within a year or two, they managed to sell the properties and pay off the debt. The after school program was born through a planning process that resulted in new programs and services to be provided. The new after-school program was involving 15-20 kids on a regular basis.
As support grew through individual donations and grant support, Bethel was able to start paying for their staff members.
Today, Bethel has grown into a beacon of hope in the community. Bethel currently offers many programs including the after-school program, Summer youth program, monthly food box giveaway, family holiday dinners, and our community garden. Two new programs are the recently started Family Crock Pot Cooking Class, and the Kindergarten Readiness Bootcamp program due to start in July 2024.
