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Pastor Carol Jean Smith + Pastor Geary Smith

Nearly four decades ago, Carol Jean and Geary A. Smith wouldn’t have dreamed of running a ministry for people struggling with homelessness and addiction.

More likely, they would have been the ones seeking help.

“Both my husband and I were drug addicts and alcoholics,” says Pastor Carol Jean, 60. “We were wild and crazy. There’s no other way to put it.”

But in 1980, the course of their lives changed when they became Christians.

“Ever since we got saved we just felt called into ministry,” she says.

After years of discipleship, the couple received AG ministerial credentials and began pastoring a “normal” church in Minnesota.

Nearly a decade of pastoring later while at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Pastor Geary sensed God speaking a new vision to him as a fellow pastor prayed with him.

“As soon as that pastor laid his hand on me and began to pray the words ‘storefront church,’ storefront ministry came to me,” he says. “I said, ‘Where, God? Chicago? Minneapolis? New York?’”

It turned out to be St. Cloud, Minnesota, only 50 miles from their home. The couple moved there in 1997 to start Place of Hope.

(excerpt from: https://news.ag.org/en/News/Offering-a-Place-of-Hope)

THE HISTORY OF PLACE OF HOPE

1997

The long-time vision of Assembly of God co-pastors/MN home missionaries Geary and Carol Jean Smith became a reality in spring 1997 when they established Place of Hope Ministries (POHM) in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. From the beginning, POHM has been a multi-denominational ministry, including an outreach to area churches.  Pastors Carol and Geary believe that individuals have a right to food, shelter and dignity in living as a basic human need.

  • Started a home missions church outreach to the "streets" in 1997 with a storefront Drop-in Center and Sunday worship Services at the Center.

  • Began helping people find jobs, housing, and more meaningful lives.

  • Began handing out free clothes and food and serving free community meals.

 

1999

Founded Project H.E.A.L., a free medical screening clinic in cooperation with Mid Minnesota Family Practice Clinic and the Saint Cloud hospital.

  • Started "Recovering Hope" classes – a discipleship program using National Teen Challenge curriculum through the POHM Outreach Program and at two county jails. Over 75 people have taken advantage of the program so far.

 
 

2000

Purchased the former St. Raphael's Convent building and initiated the "adopt a room" program to prepare the building for occupancy.

  • Various churches, businesses, groups and individual volunteers from central Minnesota came to paint, decorate, and repair old electrical and plumbing fixtures in the guest rooms — paying for much of it themselves!

  • Instituted the "Church of the Week (COTW) Sheltering Program," currently serving over 300 men, women and children each year (many using the program several times each month) — an invaluable additional resource to the homeless. This program is a cooperative effort with area churches to provide shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness.

  • Provided blankets and personal care items to those in need.

  • Started an Urban Bible Training Center school; approximately 25 have attended the school. Graduates obtain ministerial licensing which provides a vocation.

Received the MN Jail Program of the Year Award for the POH City Church jail ministry.

 
 
 

2001

Began hosting a Christ-centered Alcoholics Anonymous group, Network for Life, a Prison Fellowship aftercare support group, and a Spanish-speaking AA group.

  • Hosted the first joint Hispanic/English Place of Hope Church meeting with over 160 in attendance.

2002

POHM formed the Minnesota Urban Alliance with Saint Paul City Church and Inner City Church of Minneapolis, and successfully instituted a $1.75 million capital campaign. The POHM portion was used to pay-off part of the mortgage on the ministry buildings.

 

2006

POHM (Place of Hope Housing Corporation) begin moving forward with plans for "Hope on Ninth," a 31-unit subsidized supportive low-income housing unit for those experiencing long-term homelessness. Onsite property management and tenant counseling services will be included to help tenants remain in the housing facility and avoid returning to "life on the streets." The housing facility will be located on POHM property and represents the cooperative effort of several agencies responding to the critical need to house those struggling with homelessness and substandard housing. The facility is scheduled for occupancy in February, 2008.

 
 

2008

Construction complete for the new "Hope on Ninth" permanent supportive housing facility for those experiencing homelessness.

Saint Cloud United Way surveys, the 2006 Maxfield Study, Saint Cloud Times articles and other information indicate that the homeless population growth rate is increasing at an alarming rate each year.  Place of Hope Ministries agrees, as it sees continuing high use of its Church of the Week homeless sheltering program. POHM believes that individuals have a right to food, shelter and dignity of living as a basic human need. More than thirty area churches and organizations regularly partner with Place of Hope, volunteering time and resources for its Church of the Week and homeless meals programs.  In 2004 the ministry was awarded the Saint Cloud Mayor's "High-Five" Award attesting to the incredible success of its Church of the Week homeless sheltering and food program.

The Place of Hope Ministries Residential Program ministers to those with chronic addiction and despair by providing a place to rebuild, restore, and repair the broken places in their lives.  It is a Christ-centered multi-faceted ministry for those who are struggling with poverty, hunger, homelessness, chemical or other life-controlling addictions.  When participants graduate from the six-month residential program, they have normally gained victory over root causes of the life problems that brought them to POHM.  They have attained inter-dependent self-sufficiency and are in a position to begin giving back to their families and communities.

 
 
 

Present

Present details of POH