This spring, local nonprofit organization Inspiration Ministries will celebrate its 75th anniversary with “Alive to Thrive,” an anniversary gala benefit on May 10th at the Abbey Resort and Spa in Fontana.
Inspiration Ministries was founded as the Christian League for the Handicapped in 1949, with a mission to serve people with disabilities in a faith-based environment. In 1960, the organization broke ground on its current campus at the intersection of State Hwy. 67 and Co. Hwy. F, west of Williams Bay.
The multimillion-dollar project included residential housing for people with disabilities, a demonstration building, workshop, restaurant, gift shop, a nursing and convalescent home, a children’s dormitory and a chapel. An on-site farm provided meat and supplementary income for the campus. Residents received job training and employment, as well as rehabilitation and caregiving service and Christian spiritual guidance. The on-site workshop employed a majority of the residents, who engaged in the work of packaging, assembly, small machine operation and inspection for a number of companies, including Boeing.
In 1999, the organization changed its name to Inspiration Ministries, to better reflect changes in the terminology used to describe people with disabilities. Today, the campus provides holistic care, programming and many other services to over 70 adult residents.
In June of 2020, Inspiration Ministries also opened Inspired Coffee in downtown Lake Geneva, a premium coffeeshop staffed by people with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities. The cafe serves as a space for job training and coaching, with the goal of allowing its employees to gain the hard and soft skills necessary to fully integrate into the community.
May’s benefit gala will celebrate the organization’s achievements over the past 75 years and honor the people who have worked to ensure that the services provided by Inspiration Ministries are available to as many people as possible.
Chief advancement officer Merik Fell says the anniversary reflects the organization’s long-term commitment to the local disabled community: “For the past 75 years, [Inspiration Ministries] has been at the forefront of serving people with disabilities and helping them thrive in Christ-centered community,” he says.
More information about the gala, including ticket purchasing information, will be available in April at inspirationministries.org.
