Memphis Union Mission

What Memphis Union Mission does

Memphis Union Mission is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, privately funded nonprofit religious organization founded on June 17, 1945 in Memphis, Tennessee. It operates six ministry locations across the Memphis metropolitan area, providing emergency shelter, meals, and long-term Christ-centered recovery programs to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, addiction, and crisis. Core programs include the Iron-On-Iron one-year men's residential recovery program (delivered across three phases at the Men's Emergency Shelter, Calvary Colony, and Wright Transitional House), the Moriah House recovery program for women and children, the Intact Family Program for married couples, and the Extended Stay Center for advanced recovery-program participants.

Operational scale is substantial for a Mid-South nonprofit: the organization delivered 142,233 nights of shelter and 389,346 meals in the most recent year, serves over 90% of Shelby County individuals using emergency shelters, and reports a 100% sobriety rate among recovery-program graduates. The Legacy of Hope capital campaign has driven major facility expansion, with Phase I ($23M) and Phase II ($13M) of the New Opportunity Center project completed and Phase III targeted to bring total capacity to 350+ beds.

The revenue model is donations-only: Memphis Union Mission receives no municipal, county, state, or federal government funding, relying on private donations from individuals, churches, and organizations via online channels (Stripe, PayPal, Virtuous donor portal), stock transfers, planned giving, and in-kind contributions. The organization is ECFA-accredited and is governed by a 9-member Board of Directors under President and CEO D. Scott Bjork, who has led the organization since 2002. Strategic partnerships with Christ Community Health Services, Baptist Memorial Healthcare, the Mid-South Food Bank, and the Safety Net Collaborative extend the mission's healthcare, food, and case-management capabilities without reliance on government contracts.

Name

Memphis Union Mission

Legal name

Memphis Union Mission

Website

https://memphisunionmission.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Memphis Union Mission is a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1945 in Memphis, Tennessee, operating six facilities that deliver emergency shelter, meals, and Christ-centered long-term recovery programs to homeless men, women, children, and intact families across the Mid-South.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Homeless shelter services
• Addiction recovery programs
• Emergency meal services
• Faith-based nonprofit
• Transitional housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Memphis Union Mission operates solely through the generosity of private donors. The organization receives no municipal, county, state, or federal government funding. Donations come from individuals, churches, and organizations through various giving channels including online donations, stock transfers, wills and estates, and in-kind donations.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Memphis Union Mission is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization that delivers free emergency shelter, meals, and long-term Christ-centered recovery programs to men, women, and families experiencing homelessness, addiction, and crisis across six ministry locations in Memphis. Core offerings include the Men's Emergency Shelter, the one-year Iron-on-Iron recovery program for men, the 10-month Moriah House program for women and children, the Intact Family transitional housing program, and transitional residences at Wright Transitional House and the Extended Stay Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Iron-On-Iron Recovery Program: Memphis Union Mission's long-term, Christ-centered one-year intensive residential recovery program for men, consisting of three distinct phases: Awareness Phase, Calvary Colony Phase, and Transitional Phase.
• Intact Family Program
• Moriah House
• Calvary Colony
• Wright Transitional House
• Extended Stay Center
• Men's Emergency Shelter
• New Opportunity Center

Products and services

• Men's Emergency Shelter Emergency shelter providing meals, shelter, clothing, hygiene items, medical clinic access, and intake services for men experiencing homelessness, serving as the entry point to the Iron-on-Iron recovery program. New guests may receive up to 60 days of free shelter.
• Iron-on-Iron Recovery Program Memphis Union Mission's long-term, Christ-centered one-year intensive residential recovery program for men, consisting of three distinct phases: Awareness Phase, Calvary Colony Phase, and Transitional Phase. Includes counseling, biblical discipleship, life-skills development, and job training.
• Calvary Colony A 162-acre recovery facility near Shelby Forest hosting the intensive phase of the Iron-on-Iron recovery program with counseling, Bible studies, GED classes, Crossroad Bible Institute coursework, and recreational activities.
• Wright Transitional House Transitional housing facility at 170 Tillman Street, Memphis, TN 38111 for men who have graduated from the long-term recovery program. Features single-dwelling apartments and assists residents with job readiness, financial management, and community integration.
• Extended Stay Center A supportive housing facility with smaller dorm rooms for men who have demonstrated greater initiative and responsibility in their recovery journey, providing a drug-free environment with biblically-based counseling and housing assistance.
• Intact Family Program Provides fully-furnished three-bedroom homes for intact families (legally married couples with or without children) for 3-6 months while they work, save money, and attend Bible studies and counseling.
• Moriah House Long-term (10-month) Christ-centered recovery program for women and their children that accommodates up to 15 women and their children in individual suites with private baths. Includes Bible studies, Celebrate Recovery classes, counseling, and practical living skills.
• New Opportunity Center Expansion of the Opportunity Center facility providing dining facilities to feed 200+ at a time, dorms to house 80 additional clients, small dorms for 34 Recovery Program clients, and classrooms for counseling and education; Phase 2 will add an auditorium/chapel with 350+ seating and additional beds.
• Hire a Graduate Program Employment assistance program connecting recovery program graduates with employers, including job readiness training, skills development, and Federal Bonding Program support for hiring graduates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of program graduates achieve sobriety
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Christ Community Health ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Christ Community Health Services to host a free medical clinic for the homeless on Mondays and Thursdays. Guests have access to a nurse and doctor, with referrals provided as necessary. This partnership addresses critical healthcare needs for homeless individuals.
• Baptist Memorial HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Baptist Memorial Healthcare to support the free medical clinic at the Men's Emergency Shelter, providing healthcare access to homeless guests.
• Mid-South Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working to address food insecurity in the Mid-South region. Provides food resources that support the mission's meal service operations.
• Safety Net CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemphis Union Mission is a member of the Safety Net Collaborative, a coalition of large private nonprofits addressing basic human needs including food, clothing, shelter, housing, healthcare, and crisis counseling. Other members include American Red Cross, Associated Catholic Charities, Case Management Inc., Church Health, MIFA, and The Neighborhood Christian Center.
• Crossroad Bible InstitutesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Bible course curriculum for men in the Iron-On-Iron recovery program. Men complete Crossroad Bible Institute coursework to help them grow in their faith in Christ.
• Federal Bonding ProgramsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help employers hire program graduates by providing fidelity bonding at no cost to protect against employee dishonesty. Gives employers peace of mind about internal theft when hiring graduates.
• HUB (Hospitality Hub)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitality Hub is a partner organization serving the homeless community in Memphis, aligned with the mission's goals.
• Community AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Community Alliance for Transformation and Housing (CAFTH), a partner organization in Memphis working to serve the community.
• Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)coreOthersMemphis Union Mission is a fully accredited member of ECFA, reflecting commitment to accountability, transparency, and faithful stewardship. This membership demonstrates financial accountability to donors.
• Citygate NetworksupportingOthersMemphis Union Mission is a member of Citygate Network, a network of missions and rescue ministries.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nashville Rescue Mission: Nashville Rescue Mission is a Tennessee-based faith-based nonprofit offering emergency shelter, meals, and long-term Christ-centered recovery programs for homeless men, women, and families — directly parallel to Memphis Union Mission's services, programs, and operating model.
• Atlanta Mission: Atlanta Mission is a faith-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, meals, recovery programs, and transitional housing for the homeless and addicted in Atlanta. Its recovery and shelter programming and Christ-centered approach are highly comparable to Memphis Union Mission.
• City Union Mission: City Union Mission is a faith-based rescue mission in Kansas City providing emergency shelter, meals, and residential recovery programs for homeless men, women, and families. The "Union Mission" branding and integrated continuum-of-care model closely mirrors Memphis Union Mission.
• Union Rescue Mission (Los Angeles): Union Rescue Mission is one of the largest faith-based rescue missions in the U.S., providing emergency shelter and long-term recovery services in downtown Los Angeles. The shared "Union Mission" name and integrated service model make it a strong functional peer.
• Open Door Mission: Open Door Mission is a faith-based rescue mission in Omaha operating emergency shelter, long-term residential recovery, and transitional housing — structurally equivalent to Memphis Union Mission's Iron-on-Iron three-phase recovery model and emergency services.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army is a massive international faith-based nonprofit operating emergency shelters, recovery programs, and social services across the U.S. It overlaps with Memphis Union Mission across virtually every service line but at vastly greater geographic scale and broader programmatic scope.

Others

• MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association): MIFA is a Memphis-area interfaith social services nonprofit and fellow Safety Net Collaborative member. While it does not offer residential shelter, it provides complementary social services (case management, senior support, housing navigation) within the same regional support ecosystem.
• Mid-South Food Bank: Mid-South Food Bank is a Memphis-based food distribution partner that supplies Memphis Union Mission's meal programs. It is a key supplier/ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor, addressing food insecurity in the same region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/memphisunionmission
• Instagraminstagram.com/memphisunionmission
• Xx.com/memunionmission
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/memphis-union-mission

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Memphis Union Mission