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New Life Outreach Ministry presents housing, veterans and job programs to Lakeland NAC
Summary
New Life Outreach Ministry described its housing, veteran-focused services, a tiny-house project with YouthBuild and funding sources including American Rescue Plan dollars at the Lakeland Neighborhood Association Coalition meeting.
New Life Outreach Ministry told the Lakeland Neighborhood Association Coalition on Monday night that it provides transitional and permanent housing, counseling and job-readiness services for people recovering from homelessness and substance use disorders.
Dr. Larry Mitchell, director of New Life Outreach Ministry, said the organization opened in 1989 and now operates multiple homes and programs including a recently completed veterans house. “It is our goal to serve the community by reaching out to the least, the lost, the last with inspiration of hope, compassion, and love,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell described funding used to renovate and build the veterans home, saying the organization received $550,000 from county-awarded American Rescue Plan (ARP) dollars and raised more than $500,000 in additional construction funding. He said ARP funds covered construction but not service costs.
Program details included counseling, case management, medical referrals and job-placement assistance such as resume help and job readiness training. Bobby Lowe, who said he runs the ministry, told the meeting that veterans who enter the program are offered work opportunities and support services; Lowe said he had been involved with the ministry for more than a decade.
Mitchell and staff also highlighted a tiny-house project under construction on Kathleen Road built in partnership with YouthBuild, a local program that trains 17- to 24-year-olds in construction trades. Mitchell said the tiny-house project is about 65% complete and that the YouthBuild partnership provides hands-on carpentry training for young people.
The presentation included veteran-focused statistics cited by New Life: roughly 35,000 veterans experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, and other figures cited from national research on veteran homelessness and service needs. Mitchell also noted local veteran-support groups and service providers have contributed nonmonetary support for the veterans house.
Shawanda Bonner, senior planner for Neighborhood Outreach, introduced New Life and asked attendees to note how local nonprofits and neighborhood associations interact when responding to homelessness and service navigation. Bonner said she had referred at least one unhoused person directly to New Life after meeting him in a shopping-center parking lot.
New Life staff distributed information about their programs and invited neighborhood members to refer residents in need. The presentation closed with a brief question-and-answer period and applause from attendees.
Mitchell said the ministry continues to accept referrals and volunteers and that additional fundraising and service partnerships remain important to sustain operations.
