St. John's Ministries men's shelter in Green Bay. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Saint John’s Ministries has changed its mission statement, amid a recent focus on issues with homelessness. Its executive director says the change better represents where the non-profit is today.
Jesse Brunette, Executive Director at St. John’s Ministries, says the nonprofit’s vision is to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.
Its new mission statement reads:
Grounded by faith, we strengthen the greater Green Bay community by providing essential resources, low-barrier shelter, and compassionate support to adults experiencing homelessness and housing instability.
“We exist for people that maybe present with some more challenging barriers that prevent them from receiving other services in our community. So the mission is very reflective of the population that we serve,” said Brunette.
Previously, it read: “Our mission is to honor the dignity, restore hope and create lasting change for those experiencing homelessness or housing instability in the greater Green Bay community.”
According to the Institute for Community Alliances, point in time data estimates Brown County’s homeless population has risen from 444 in 2020 to 648 in 2025.
“As the issue to some seems like it’s out of control, I don’t feel that this issue is out of control. I think Green Bay has made tremendous progress and through St. John’s and other service providers and shelters we’ll continue to make progress,” said Brunette.
With the new mission statement, will anything change?
Brunette replied, “Just growing. Nothing specifically. We’re just looking at all the different ways that we can serve the population.”
St. John’s Ministries isn’t funded by the government. It connects people to other resources in the community.
Anthon Cowan, a Green Bay man experiencing homelessness, says he thinks St. John’s could do more in-house.
“I think they need to develop their own programs or at least contract with clinicians and therapists and whatnot so that they can be more accountable to the people in which they’re saying they’re helping,” said Cowan. “I don’t know if that funding would allow for that, but at the same time if you’re all about the public, then be about the public. If you’re all about the unhoused, then be about the unhoused. Let’s get some programs going.”
When asked about possible future changes, Brunette said St. John’s is always considering deepening its services.
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