Patrons from all over Gladwin County and beyond come to this location to donate and shop for items with all proceeds going to run the Mission. Its humble beginnings in 1966 started as a conversation with mission groups in Gladwin, Coleman and Edenville, where they began rolling bandages for the Vietnam War effort. Since then, the mission has evolved to assist the community in many ways.

“This is truly God’s work,” said director Yvette Keast. “Our economy is expensive. We help people that are homeless, the working poor and those who are in an emergency situation. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Keeping the Mission running smoothly is a team effort, with two staff members and about 75 volunteers. They kindly greet familiar faces by name and assist customers purchasing a variety of items, from clothes to household goods.

“We could not do this without the volunteers. It would be impossible,” she said. “They’re all amazing and it’s a labor of love.”

The Mission helps fund the adjacent food pantry, which provides food for thousands of meals and other assistance for those struggling to make ends meet.

“Without donations and sales of those donations, the Mission would not be able to assist people in need,” Yvette said.

Yvette says food assistance continues to grow each year. Statistics show that from 2016 to 2017, 885 local families were assisted and 30,600 meals provided, while from 2023 to 2024, some 2,199 families were assisted and 67,346 meals provided.

They knew they had to grow to continue to meet the community’s needs, leading to a massive 60-by-80 foot expansion. The DeShano Community Foundation and the family construction company, DeShano Companies Inc., donated the expansion and its construction costs in memory of their patriarch, Gary DeShano.

“Gary was a devout Catholic who loved the Gladwin community and would be happy to have his memory honored with the Sacred Heart Mission,” the Mission’s website reads.

Florence DeShano, Gary’s widow and longtime Gladwin resident and Sacred Heart Church parishioner, says honoring his memory meant a lot to her and the entire family.

“It’s a beautiful space and addition. We were pleased we could honor Gary’s memory and provide this expansion for the community,” she said.

Erin Schuler, Gary and Florence’s daughter, remembers her father as a humble, generous man “who drove the oldest truck” and wanted to help others. She explained that her parents had instilled in them the importance of generosity; she and her brothers Scott and Chad had always known that half of what their parents left to them was meant for charity.

When Gary passed away in 2022, the family wanted to make a large donation that could make a big impact.

“Someone mentioned the Mission, and everything fell into place,” Florence said. “A key factor is the number of people we can help, and this helps more than just the Gladwin community.”

The Mission collaborates with many organizations in the area and state, and it also provides assistance with heating and electric bills, prescriptions and medical costs, auto repairs, clothing and fire or other emergency relief.

“By working together we [can] help even more families,” Yvette commented during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Numerous local contractors donated materials or labor to support the project as well. A grant from Consumers Energy Foundation supplied the needed refrigeration and shelving needed for the food pantry expansion. The Freeman family, who own the local Save-A-Lot, donated a substantial amount to the Mission efforts and the Mid-Michigan Community Action Agency’s The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) program gave about six months’ worth of food to stock the shelves.

Along with the Thrift Store proceeds, the Mission is also supported by:

• Area churches
• Agencies with overage of perishable foods, such as New Dawn Shelter and local food trucks
• Community and memorial donations
• Food drives through the U.S. Post Office, Gladwin schools and Save-A-Lot
• Grants through commodities programs
• Numerous agencies providing clothing or vouchers

The expansion will not only help organize its donation center and food pantry, it also offers resources via kiosks where guests can obtain information on education, employment, healthcare and more. The Gladwin County Community Foundation administered a grant to assist with the technical development of the Mission Resource Connection Center. There is also information about the Catholic faith available.

“We want to help improve lives,” Yvette said. “This will be a place for people to turn. It’s not a hand out, it’s a hand up,” Yvette said.

The DeShano family, Sacred Heart Mission Board of Directors and representatives of the Mission’s many partner agencies gathered April 2 for an emotional blessing and ribbon-cutting, preceded by a surprise. A beautiful statue of Mary, Our Lady of Grace, arms outstretched, stands on a donated pedestal with a plaque in Gary’s memory.

On April 7, the Mission opened its doors to its new expanded space.

“I'm both amazed and grateful to see the good fruit that has grown from such humble beginnings in the basement of the parish. Because of our origin, we don't see those we help as anonymous numbers, but as other Christs,” said Father Marcel Portelli, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish.

Father Portelli believes the Mission is a vibrant expression of both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy within Gladwin County.

“Engaging in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy isn't merely a response to the needs of our community … it's a profound means of deepening our own relationship with God,” he said. “These works, rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the tradition of the Catholic Church, put into practice our call to love and serve others as did our Lord. Hence, we witness feeding the hungry and clothing the naked through our food pantry and thrift store, directly addressing the physical needs of our neighbors. Our assistance with utilities and emergency needs embodies sheltering the homeless, preventing further hardship and offering vital support.”

Father Portelli works closely with both those who benefit from the work that’s done and with the many dozens of volunteers and those served.

“Quite often, the volunteers refer people to me for additional prayer or spiritual guidance. We see every interaction, from sorting donations to assisting a family, as an opportunity to live out the Gospel,” he said.

Father Portelli credits all goodness and success to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“It is Jesus’ work done through our hands.”