A personal reflection by Lydia Davison, Mission Integration Coordinator
Sometimes the most powerful reminders of why I’ve dedicated my life to this work comes in the smallest interactions.
One summer morning, I was walking into the Micah Center when a man waiting outside asked me a simple question: “Are we open today?”
It is important to note from May through October, our daytime resource centers, Micah Center and Wellspring, close on Tuesday and Friday mornings for “Drop-In Days.” During these hours, we provide essential services like showers, laundry, meals and access to basic necessities at our separate shelter facilities.
I smiled at the man and let him know that yes, we will be open. It was a Tuesday so the Micah Center wouldn’t open for another 20 minutes, once drop-in finished. He nodded and waited patiently. I went about my day but have not been able to shake the way that he phrased his question. I actually wrote his question on a sticky note and posted it on my computer and have been pondering it since.
Not, “Are you open today?” But, “Are we open today?”
That small word –we- had stopped me in my tracks.
For this guest, St. John’s Ministries is more than a hot meal or a shower. It is his place. His community. A space where he belongs. And in that moment, he reminded me of what I love most about being here: St. John’s Ministries isn’t “us” and “them.” It’s always we. I pray this is true for anyone who comes through our doors.
As our vision statement says: “through a spirit of familiarity, rapport and trust, each person will leave better than they came.” Every day we work to build a community of dignity, hope, and trust. A community where guests know they matter, their voices are heard, and their presence makes the “we” possible.
At first glance, you might not be able to tell who’s staff and who’s guest, and that’s the point. With a few misfortunes, any one of us could experience homelessness. We want everyone who walks through our doors to feel ownership, dignity, and belonging. Guests are not simply recipients of services; they are members of our community. A community that we build together.
Clayton, our Director of Case Management Services, always reminds us that we should treat everyone who comes seeking our services like it’s the worst day of their life – because for many, it is. We can provide hope and support, as we would hope to receive on each of our worst days.
This sense of we is at the very heart of St. John’s Ministries. Each year, hundreds of individuals in Brown County experience homelessness, often carrying with them layers of trauma, health challenges, and barriers to housing. Many have nowhere else to go. St. John’s Ministries steps in as the shelter of last resort, offering a safe place to sleep, but also a path forward.
During our 2024–2025 shelter season St. John’s Ministries provided shelter to 646 unique guests, accounting for more than 25,000 nights of shelter. Our daytime resource centers (Micah Center and Wellspring) provided meals, case management, and peer support for over 850 individuals across 12,000 visits. Behind every number is a person, and behind every person is a story of resilience and a yearning for community.
But sometimes, the truest reflection of our mission isn’t in the numbers – it’s in a simple question like “Are we open today?” because that word –we- means that St. John’s Ministries is more than a building or a program.
As Mission Integration Coordinator, my role is to help keep this sense of belonging at the center of all we do. To remind us that this work is not just about meeting basic needs, it’s about walking alongside people, believing in their capacity for change, and creating space where transformation can take root, and connecting community members, church congregations, corporate partners to that belief. After all, we couldn’t do this work without the partnership of the community around us.
Every day, our guests remind me of the power they already hold. They carry stories of survival, strength, grit and hope. My job – and our collective job – is to make sure they know we believe in them, and that their story matters.
That guest’s question still echoes in my heart. Are we open today?
Yes, we are. And every time our doors open, I am reminded that what makes St. John’s Ministries special is not just the shelter, the services, or even the staff or volunteers – it’s the we that makes us a community.
