Founding of Duluth Harbor Rescue Mission and Message

“Expect great things from God-attempt great things for God.” William Carey 1761-1834

I first heard William Carey’s proclamation in 2016 as I sat in the driver’s seat of a school bus waiting for children to board.

I had been called two years prior to begin a ministry with a focus on homelessness and addiction, on the West side of Duluth MN. Specifically, I heard God say, “start something which would glorify me and allow hope to be restored for those who are giving up.” Hearing William Carey’s life story that day on the radio was the last prompting, of numerous, needed to make the initial phone call to one person, then another, and so on, until I had a strong group of people who would join me in starting a non-profit, building a Board of Directors, forming governance policies, and press into something good together.

I went into this with no experience running a shelter. My cup ran over with compassion and passion. I had some business experience obtained from working in marketing and management at a local big box store. I had leadership experience from owning a country grocery store. I had social activity skills due to years of volunteering in jail ministry, and our local Teen Challenge campus, and a commitment to active street ministry. I also served for a short time on the board of another ministry in Duluth. But this calling, given in 2014, had been ignored until I heard William Carey’s true-life story. I have to say, although I had no experience running a shelter, I had 22 years of experience in navigating homelessness and addiction because of my own child. My son was a street-level addict and lived outside in the Duluth area for years. If I couldn’t help my own child, I could help someone else’s. Everyone out there is someone’s loved one and their journey needs attention. I wanted to provide that attention to the lost loved one since despair, shame, and guilt is very real and for the family because fear and uncertainty is all consuming.

Then, with my background, passion, and personal knowledge I went home one day from work and told my husband. “I’m being called to start a homeless shelter, quit my job, cash out my retirement and work for nothing for many years.” My husband said, “If God is saying this, then we need to do it.” So, I retired from my job with the school district, cashed out my retirement, took the penalties, and in February of 2016 Duluth Harbor Mission had its first board meeting. In September of the same year, we served our first hot meal from a local church basement which we worked out of for about ten months. During this time, we pressed in on presenting our goals to local churches and community members. Then, a lady took me out to dinner and asked me, “Which building speaks to you?” as she laid out pictures of buildings for sale in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Duluth; and she bought it for us.

We have been at this location for almost ten years! We are supported through private donations, small business grants, 33 local churches, local organizations, and even children who save their money for God’s poor. We operate a facility with wrap-around services which focus on the root cause of homelessness and addiction and because of that, we have seen many lives restored and celebrate victory over life on the streets. We are committed to continue to encourage others who don’t feel they are worthy of God’s great love and forgiveness. We have had so many come in who had planned suicide but remembered there is a safe place in town where people will listen and love and therefore the plans of suicide were thwarted. I give God the glory for the great things He is doing and for His provision.

I had never planned to run a gospel rescue mission and work five feet from hell daily, but God did. And in my anxieties during the beginning, He spoke to me through William Carey saying basically, God can do great things for us if we allow it. Also not only myself, as Duluth Harbor Mission has a faithful crew of people who are blessed beyond measure to pour out their time and gifts into this ministry. This is one of my greatest joys in this work! I love to see people I love shine their light and experience God in new ways! Such blessings cannot be measured. A scripture verse that suits us is this,
“If you spend yourself on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will shine in the darkness.” Isaiah 58:10.

We desire that the light of Jesus shine in our city, where hope is found, and lives are restored. Find us by the neon sign on the window that reads, JESUS SAVES.

I am blessed to say my son is well now. Very well. God heard my cries, but He never heard any doubt. We cannot doubt God is at work. And as I told my son, our journey was not in vain.

Praise be to God!

In His great love,

Veronica Ciurleo