A major step forward Friday for the Warren Family Mission, as they officially cut the ribbon on their brand-new Community Outreach Center. The new space is designed to foster growth, support, and connection for individuals and families in need.

"This year, we plan on launching a youth program and just having different types of programming classes, giving kids information for transformation before they're in the line, getting food, before they're in trouble with the law," said Dominic Marrari, Director of Public Relations for the Warren Family Mission.

The space, once a worship center, has been completely transformed with the help of volunteers who painted, renovated, and repurposed the area to better serve the mission's growing needs.

"We're really good at the Warren Family Mission at taking the quarter and squeezing it until the eagle screams," Marrari said. "So we stretch that money. An army of volunteers were in here, painting and ripping out pews. It just took an army."

For over 25 years, the Warren Family Mission has provided food, shelter, and support services to those in need. But as their impact has grown, so has their need for more space.

"We have a lot going on, we have a lot of programming, a lot of services provided, but we're just running out of space," Marrari said. "So to be able to reclaim this space and utilize it to reach our community and continue to make a difference one life at a time is the tip of the iceberg."

Among the supporters helping make this dream a reality—Warren City Councilman Todd Johnson, who donated $50,000 in ARP funds to the project.

"Part of our vision for the ARP funding was to fund generational projects that would make a long-term impact in the Warren community," Johnson said. "After over 25 years of service, the Warren Family Mission has proven that they're doing just that. By doing this project, this provides space for our community, for youth, for young adults, for outreach events, so that Warren—particularly on the west side, but also the entire city—can benefit from these types of facilities."

A major focus of the new outreach center will be its upcoming youth program, launching this summer. Marrari says it's all about reaching young people before they fall into hardship.

"Our children are going to be utilizing this room," Marrari said. "Our children are the future of our community. And so we're seeing the need to reach out to our kids and to catch them before they're homeless, before they're on drugs, before they're in trouble, and we're hoping to be able to do that with this space."

With a fresh space and renewed energy, the Warren Family Mission is ready to continue its mission of service.

Marrari says they still need sound equipment, soundproofing, computers and other equipment before the center is completely finished. He says their grateful to all the donors who helped bring the center to fruition, they couldn't have done this without them.