The establishment of the Downing Award

The Exchange Club is a significant part of the history of Isaiah. Before Isaiah 58 NH became the non-profit it is today it was an outreach ministry of Triumphant Cross Luther Church, Salem NH (Isaiah 58 Ministry). A gift from the Exchange Club was the catalyst for the formation of Isaiah 58 Ministry. The gift was a 1980 Liberty Mobile Home. As pastor of Triumphant Cross I was keenly aware of the affordable housing issue in the Salem area. So when I heard the Exchange Club had a mobile home it was offering to a local nonprofit or church, I applied for it and was given the home. I thought it would be a simple process to help a local family rehab it and help them find a home for the mobile home. Not knowing how difficult it would be to find one for an older mobile I became deeply involved in the local housing community and the pending crisis in our area of affordable housing and hidden homelessness. It took three years before a home for our homeless mobile home had a home. It’s new home was in an owner owned manufactured home community. It took another year of rehabbing it before it had its first homeless family living in it. In those three years Isaiah 58 Ministry became Isaiah 58 NH as its own nonprofit corporation. Without the gift from the Exchange Club and their continuing support, Isaiah 58 NH’s mission of creating at least one new affordable housing unit in Western Rockingham County every year, would not have come about and Isaiah would not be the organization it is today. Thank you Exchange Club. Hope you can join us 10-3-24 for the 10th anniversary Charity Benefit. Please go to www.isaiah58nh.com for tickets, sponsorships or more info.