Indiana Shelters Announce Merger

Wheeler Mission Ministries in Indianapolis says it will merge with Backstreet Missions in Bloomington. The combined organization will be named after Wheeler Mission. The merger takes effect Thursday.

The two faith-based ministries provide service to the poor and homeless. Officials say service to the homeless will continue in Bloomington. Wheeler Mission says it has had a presence in the Bloomington area since 1953 through Camp Hunt.

"With Wheeler having this addiction recovery facility so close to Bloomington, merging with Backstreet was a natural for us. If a man who is being served by Backstreet is struggling with an addiction, he can find long-term help literally right up the road," Wheeler President and CEO Rick Alvis said.

Wheeler Mission was founded in 1893 and Backstreet was founded in 1995.

"When my late husband Gene and I founded Backstreet in 1995, our number one objective was to care for the homeless by demonstrating the love and compassion of Christ. As I transition to the next chapter of my life, placing Backstreet in the hands of Wheeler Mission with their rich history of serving the homeless made perfect sense," Backstreet President and CEO Linda Kelly said.