The Foundry Ministries

The Foundry Ministries, formerly the Bessemer Rescue Mission and City of Hope, is an addiction recovery program and emergency homeless shelter operating in Bessemer, Birmingham and Cullman. The organization is led by CEO Micah Andrews. Its operations are funded by donations, as well as from revenues generated by its thrift stores and auto sales center.

The Bessemer Rescue Mission was founded in 1971 by Sam Reynolds. Under director Bob Bell the mission constructed a 5,000 square-foot-building in 1978, and opened a shelter for women in 1992.

Under Bill Heintz the mission began providing addiction recovery services. It acquired the former First Alliance Church in Bessemer in 1997 and began operating an automotive repair service in 1998. In 2004 the program began operating as The Foundry Rescue Mission and Recovery Center. It merged with Re-Entry Ministries in 2005 and moved the women's shelter into the former First Baptist Church of Bessemer.

In 2006 The Foundry Medical Center opened in the ministry's main building on 6th Avenue North Bessemer. Over the next two years the program expanded with a new 600-seat worship center, a recovery program in Cullman, and an expanded women's dormitory. In 2010 the former women's shelter was renovated as transitional housing.

The Foundry Ministries began operating under its present name in 2014. That same year it entered into a collaboration with Changed Lives Christian Center.

Directors

• Bob Bell, 1971–1995
• Bill Heintz, 1996–2015
• Micah Andrews, 2016–

Locations

• The Foundry Ministries men's recovery center and offices, 1804 6th Avenue North Bessemer
• The Foundry Ministries women's recovery center, 4th Avenue North Bessemer, opened 2008
• The Foundry Outreach Center, 608 18th Street North Bessemer
• The Foundry Dental Center, 1700 6th Avenue North Bessemer
• The Foundry Medical Center, 1816 6th Avenue North Bessemer, opened 2006
• The Foundry Worship Center, 1800 5th Avenue North Bessemer, opened 2007
• The Foundry Farm, Cullman, opened 2008
• The Foundry Thrift Store, 1636 2nd Street Southwest, Cullman, opened 2011
• The Foundry Superthrift Outlet, 6550 Aaron Aronov Drive, Fairfield, opened 2012
• The Foundry Auto Donation Center, 1918 6th Avenue North Bessemer
• The Foundry Auto Sales, 730 19th Street North Bessemer
• The Foundry Thrift Store, 3592 Pelham Parkway, Pelham, opened 2017

External links

• The Foundry Ministries website