Our History

Having opened in 1998, Hope Gospel Mission is committed to bringing hope to men, women, and now women with children struggling with homelessness and addiction in the Chippewa Valley and Western Wisconsin. Our passion is to be a beacon of hope to those struggling to stay afloat.

For those seeking short-term emergency housing, assistance in procuring safe, long-term housing, stable employment and a workable budget, Hope Gospel Mission is here for them. Much more essential, though, are our long-term programs dedicated to addressing the root causes of a person’s problems. We ultimately want to see men and women become contributing, independent members of our society. This takes months of intensive work to break down bad habits, then build and reinforce good ones.

In all our work, we strive to share the Love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior with those we meet—residents, donors, volunteers, and our neighbors throughout the world. As a "Gospel Mission," we believe that Christ is the key to both eternal salvation and life here on earth. It is amazing to see how our residents change when they accept the Gospel in their hearts. For as it says in Romans 8:31, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"(NIV).

Hope Gospel Mission was founded in December of 1998 under the direction of founder and current board president Mark Donnelly. At that time Mark had become quite concerned about the growing but ‘invisible’ population of homeless men and women in the Eau Claire area. It was apparent that there was a great need to serve these lost ones with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hope Gospel Mission has seen hundreds of homeless people come through its doors since 1999.