Without a doubt, 100 years is a long time. Some people are fortunate to live that long. Some businesses survive 100 years of ups and downs. General Motors recently celebrated its 100th birthday and Ford Motor Company marked the 100th anniversary of its Model T, an invention that put the world on wheels.

The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) is also among the centennial celebrants. On February 14, 2009 we will commemorate the Mission’s humble beginnings as a soup kitchen that provided church services, shelter, food and clothing for the homeless and downtrodden. Founded by a minister named David C. Stucky, the Detroit City Rescue Mission — as it was called during that time — operated out of an old poultry store. It changed locations several times and added services to meet the needs of the ever-changing community. Those services include substance abuse treatment, transitional and permanent housing, job preparation and educational courses.

Since the beginning, we have rebuilt hundreds of thousand of lives destroyed by addiction, homelessness and poverty. We’re a firm believer that you have to treat the whole person to make a permanent change and that’s what we do. You’ve got to help the homeless help themselves.

Our main mission at DRMM is to find permanent solutions for the disheartened and disadvantaged so that they can look to the future and not look back at their past. Many of our dedicated employees have been there and done that. Today they give back to others who have found themselves in similar situations. You can see examples of these success stories at: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1297082/drmm_success_stories/.

Yes, the need today is greater than it was 100 years ago. And unfortunately, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. But as long as people are in need, DRMM will be there to offer solutions. We’re looking forward to another 100 years of providing hope on the streets.