Crossroads Mission Avenue

Crossroads Mission Avenue started as a soup kitchen serving one meal daily with one bed in 1983. The vision was to serve the hungry and needy as they sought assistance. That has since grown into three Campuses in Hastings, Kearney, and Grand Island, each with Mission Avenue Thrift stores. Crossroads provides programming to end the cycle of homelessness by utilizing a 4-Phase Recovery Program, including life skills training, one-on-one case management with prescription medication management and medical referrals, transitional housing, and more. 

After recognizing a need in the community, Crossroads purchased a building at 907 W. 8th St., which now houses our Lexington Mission Avenue Thrift Store. Crossroads Mission Avenue is a non-profit that has been serving the homeless and needy in Central Nebraska for 40 years. The Mission Avenue Thrift Stores provide vital operational support for the homeless ministry of Crossroads and are a vital part of the Missions’ sustainability model. The Lexington Mission Avenue Thrift Store has brought employment and volunteer opportunities into the community, as well as needed partnerships with community agencies to offer community service hours. The store offers a low-cost alternative for basic necessities such as clothing and household goods, helping incomes go further! The store also offers recycling opportunities for the community, as the store accepts donations of no-longer-needed items, keeping those items off the streets and out of landfills!

Every sale at Lexington Mission Avenue Thrift supports the homeless ministry of Crossroads Mission Avenue. A capital campaign to bring homeless services to Lexington is underway. Working closely with the City of Lexington, Crossroads expects to secure a location for the future Crossroads Mission Avenue facility in the next year to provide emergency shelter and transitional housing within the Lexington community. Each Crossroads campus provides services that include safe shelter, hot meals, life skills classes, and one-on-one case management that helps our guests gain employment, financial independence, and stable housing.

Crossroads began working in Lexington by partnering with Food Bank for the Heartland in July 2022 to continue the monthly food distribution at the Dawson County Fairgrounds. Crossroads staff and volunteers from the community now serve approximately 450 families on the first Thursday of every month! More than 6,500 households representing over 24,000 individuals have received assistance through this program in the last 17 months!