Hope Gospel Mission started in 1998 after Mark Donnelly, founder and current Board President, did an extensive amount of research as to what help was offered to homeless men and women in western Wisconsin. His studies revealed that there were few if any services for this population. Because of this evident need and a call from God to address it, Hope Gospel Mission was founded.

Initially the Mission only served male residents. But near the end of 2005 Hope Gospel Mission was able to add a 12-bed shelter for women called the Ruth House. For the first time in western Wisconsin, single women with broken backgrounds had access to life-changing care and were given the ability to rebuild their lives.

Hope Gospel Mission offers three programs for homeless men and women:

1. Short Stay Program: provides food, shelter, and clothing for meeting the immediate needs of residents entering the Mission. This program can be up to 30 days and allows the person who may be in between jobs or housing to have a safe place to stay. Most of the residents in the Short Stay Program decide to progress into the long term, holistic program.
2. Renewed Hope Program: is for the person who wants to become healthy, break their addiction(s), and be equipped to be employed and self-supporting. This program provides help in eight areas of wellness and is typically 12-17 months depending on the person’s needs and progress.
3. Transitional Program: is for the person who has completed the Renewed Hope Program and wants to stay connected to the Mission while they transition to independent living. The man or woman has a job and a vehicle and continues to live at Hope Gospel Mission and pays rent at below market level prices. They still have access to Hope Gospel Mission services as needed while living in a safe, drug and alcohol free environment.