stories of compassion

Bruce's Volunteer Story

“If you need help with anything, just let me know,” Bruce said before setting out chairs, Bibles and Prayer Request Forms and just being present to care for the guests and other volunteers. He has done this almost every day for over five years, taking only a short time off recently to grieve the death of his son.

Lisa & Keith's Story

“Our neighborhood in Kalamazoo was becoming more and more dangerous,” said Keith. “There were altercations in our front yard over drugs. There were guns. There were shootings. There were threats. It was no longer safe for my wife and my kids. We had to leave.”

John's Story

After 22 years in prison and even longer battling anger, John healed at MTM and is sharing that healing with others through his work and volunteer commitments. "Without being here at Mel Trotter, I feel that I would be truly homeless and with no one. Out of desperation, I probably would fall back to crime and the dark side of my life."

James' Story

Even after he lost a high paying job as a programmer analyst due to a neck injury, and went through a devastating divorce, James’ faith was unwavering. He spent 14 months at Mel Trotter Ministries in the Pilgrimage Program, a program for men who are disabled.

Charlene's Story

My name is Charlene. I was born in Muskegon, Michigan and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was born with alcohol in my system, they didn't think I would make it. But God knew there was more to my story.