The Downtown Mission exists as a Place of Sanctuary. In response to the mandate of the Gospel, through outreach we provide: food for the body, nurture for the spirit, shelter for the homeless, advocacy for the impoverished, and opportunity for human growth.
To be a self-directed sustainable charitable social service organization grounded in the Christian faith, proactively addressing and meeting the needs of the homeless and disadvantaged of the Windsor area; well recognized and supported by the community.
Whether it’s providing emergency shelter, a hot meal, or a food pack for an individual or family, The Windsor Downtown Mission is here with a message of hope through faith and caring. We are a Christian, faith-based, registered not-for-profit organization with a focus on serving and advocating for those who struggle with poverty and homelessness — men, women and children.
The Downtown Mission opened its doors in 1972 when a group of forward-thinking individuals at Central United Church started a coffee program for area homeless men.
It was called the “Open Door Lounge” — it had a maximum capacity of 28, and served coffee and donuts. We celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2012 and give thanks for the support of the community through the years which enabled us to grow and develop to continue to meet the needs of those we serve. We offer a wide and diverse range of services to our community.
Many men and women tell how their lives have been changed significantly as a result of the love, care and respect they received from the Downtown Mission during difficult periods of their lives.
A little help made a great deal of difference.
All who come to or reach out to the Mission, do so for a variety of reasons and because of various life circumstances. We believe all deserve empathy and support to find their way through whatever darkness they find themselves in. We will do all we can to help them through their journey and help them find hope for tomorrow.
The Downtown Mission is blessed with compassionate, hard-working and dedicated staff as well as strong leadership from both its Board of Directors and Executive Team.
The Downtown Mission’s Board Members are dedicated volunteers who provide vital leadership and are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Downtown Mission. They graciously offer their expertise, their community connections and their passion to make a real difference for the homeless, hungry and hurting of Essex County.
Chair – Rev. Dr. Catherine Collins-Barker
Vice-Chair – Amy Visser
Treasurer – Dolph Barsanti
Past-Chair – Sandor Kapasi
Director – Abram Banman
Director – Burcu Bayraktar
Director – Donald Atwell
Director – Joseph De Luca
Director – Keith Rivard
Director – Kenneth Gray
Director – Kristie McInnis
Director – Tanya Kelly
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If you are interested in finding out more about board involvement, please contact us.
The story of the Downtown Mission is born out of the most giving of human emotions, our capacity to love. In the early 1970’s, several members of The Central United Church became concerned about the growing number of disadvantaged people in the downtown area requiring help, a safe place to gather, and a nutritious meal. Although their resources were limited, they were resolute that something good would be achieved. Through their hard work, imagination, creativity and with the Grace of God a Drop-In Centre called The Open Door Lounge began welcoming hurting people in Windsor’s core.
Through the years since its inception, the Downtown Mission has changed, evolved and adapted to the ever-changing needs of the Windsor-Essex Community. All we do is focused on the mission of the organization – to be a place of Sanctuary and provide Food, Shelter, Nurturing, Advocacy and Opportunity for those who humbly come to the Mission for help, support and a second chance. The work of the Mission is done primarily through the extreme generosity of our Community and the hard work and dedication of our compassionate Staff and Volunteers. In all we do at the Mission, we keep in mind Matthew 25:40 – “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
