Muskegon Rescue Mission

In Muskegon County, the Muskegon Rescue Mission has been quietly evolving for more than a century—adapting to meet the needs of a community where the face of poverty is constantly changing, but the underlying challenges remain strikingly familiar.

Founded in 1907 by four men responding to visible homelessness in downtown Muskegon, the organization began as what would have been known then as a soup kitchen. Today, it encompasses emergency shelters, food pantries, thrift stores, and a growing community resource hub. Yet through all that change, one thing has remained constant: its mission.

“Muskegon Rescue Mission exists to demonstrate and proclaim God’s love to the less fortunate and homeless people of West Michigan,” declares the organization’s mission statement.

“That hasn’t changed since 1907,” said executive director Dan Skoglund, who has spent the past 16 years connected to the organization and stepped into the leadership role in 2018.

The Mission’s footprint reflects both its history and its growth. Its earliest operations were based on Western Avenue in downtown Muskegon. Over time, it expanded to include a men’s shelter on Laketon Avenue and a women’s and family shelter on Peck Street. Today, its services stretch far beyond shelter—offering support that addresses spiritual, emotional, and financial needs.

That holistic approach sharpened about seven years ago, when the organization conducted a community survey to better understand barriers to escaping poverty. What they found wasn’t a lack of services—but a lack of access.

“There are a lot of resources in Muskegon County,” Skoglund said. “The challenge is they’re scattered.”

Transportation gaps made it difficult for individuals and families to connect with the help they needed. But another issue stood out just as starkly: childcare.
“Muskegon is a state-designated daycare desert,” Skoglund said.

For many parents, the math simply didn’t work. Even with assistance through Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services, families were often required to cover a portion of childcare costs. The result was an impossible choice: work and struggle to afford daycare or stay home and forgo income entirely.

That reality sparked the creation of the Mission’s Community Resource Center, located at 1747 Park Street. Designed as a centralized hub, it brings services under one roof—making access easier and more efficient.

Today, the center hosts 55 partner organizations offering everything from mental health support and recovery programs to GED and ESL classes, employment services, housing assistance, and even mobile medical and dental care. Agencies such as the VA and DHHS regularly connect with individuals there, many of whom have never stayed in the Mission’s shelters.

“It’s a hub for people,” Skoglund said. “Partners don’t have permanent offices, but they come in regularly. It’s always evolving.”

A cornerstone of that hub is its childcare center, which includes preschool programming aligned with local educational standards. By reducing the financial burden of daycare, the Mission helps parents enter—or return to—the workforce, while ensuring children are prepared for kindergarten.

Unlike many nonprofits of its size, the Muskegon Rescue Mission operates almost entirely on private funding, except for some childcare support. That independence allows it to remain flexible—and responsive.

And the impact is measurable.

In 2025 alone, the Mission provided 32,000 nights of shelter and served 146,000 meals. More than 3,200 families accessed its food pantries, which are intentionally designed like convenience stores, allowing guests to choose items that suit their preferences and dietary needs. Another 800 families received clothing through a gift certificate program at the Mission’s thrift stores—an approach that prioritizes dignity by allowing individuals to shop like any other customer.

That same year, 115 people secured employment and 120 found stable housing.

“We meet people where they’re at,” Skoglund said. “Everyone has a different story, different goals. Our role is to help them plan a path forward.”

Notably, the Mission maintains an open-door philosophy. There are no geographic restrictions, and no one is turned away due to capacity.

“If you show up at our door,” Skoglund said, “we’re going to take care of you.”

Community support plays a critical role in sustaining that promise. Signature events like the upcoming Fore Shore Adventure Run on May 16—a 5K obstacle course held at Pere Marquette Beach —draw more than a thousand participants annually, alongside other fundraisers throughout the year.

For Skoglund, the work is deeply personal. His mother served as the Mission’s director until 2010, and his own career path—from insurance to the Muskegon Chronicle—eventually led him back to an organization that had long been part of his life.

Today, he sees three simple ways for others to get involved: prayer, volunteering, and financial giving.
Because while the Mission has grown far beyond its soup kitchen roots, its core purpose remains unchanged—offering not just help, but hope, to those who need it most.

To find out how you can help, visit muskegonmission.org.

Save the date: ForeShore – Adventure Run, May 16

a 5K competitive obstacle course, plus non-competitive individual and team categories, all for a good cause at Pere Marquette Beach.

runsignup.com/Race/MI/Muskegon/ForeshoreAdventureRun