We have big news!
Dear Neighbor Ministries and StepStone have come together as one organization to strengthen our shared mission: helping individuals and families build safe, stable, and hopeful lives.
While our organizations have merged, the heart of each program remains the same. Dear Neighbor Ministries continues to walk alongside neighbors experiencing hardship, providing essential resources and community connections. StepStone continues to empower survivors of domestic violence through safe housing and comprehensive support.
Together, we can reach more people, share more resources, and create lasting change. Because when we work as one, our community grows stronger.
The Values that Guide Us
Hospitality
We believe everyone deserves to be welcomed with warmth and respect. Our spaces are safe, inviting, and founded on acceptance. We meet every individual where they are, ensuring they feel seen, heard, and valued from the moment they walk through our doors.
Service
Our work is an act of service to our Wichita community. We are dedicated to meeting the essential needs of our neighbors with excellence and reliability. From providing nutritious food to offering a clear path toward stable housing, we serve with a focus on practical, life-changing support.
Generosity
Generosity is the heart of our mission. It is reflected in the compassionate spirit of our team and the unwavering support of our community. We are driven by a desire to give freely of our time, resources, and expertise, fostering a culture of giving that multiplies our collective impact.
This is our Promise: A Pathway to Stability
Whatever challenges you face, when you walk through our doors you will be met with respect, compassion, and a clear path forward. From immediate needs to long-term goals, we are here to walk alongside you.
This is support without judgment. No shame, no impossible hurdles, just a reliable hand-up that restores dignity and builds confidence. It's the kind of hope that doesn't just promise a better future, but helps you build it, step by step.
FAQs
Why now?
Over the years, StepStone and Dear Neighbor Ministries have worked side by side, sharing an administrative team and sometimes even helping the same families meet different needs. As our missions continued to align, it became clear that by joining together, we could do even more by streamlining operations, sharing resources, and strengthening our impact for those who turn to us for help.
What does this mean for the people you serve?
The services our community depends on aren’t going anywhere. Dear Neighbor Ministries will continue offering emergency assistance, food support, and programs that help individuals and families move toward stability. StepStone will continue providing safe housing, advocacy, and support for survivors of domestic violence. What’s changing is that we’ll be able to collaborate more deeply to ensure no one falls through the cracks and make our resources go further.
Will your names change?
Stay tuned! We are working through a thoughtful branding process to define our shared vision and discover the right name for our merged organization.
How will this strengthen your impact?
By combining our administrative resources, we can focus more energy where it matters most: serving people. Together, we can more effectively address the root causes of poverty and violence, provide wraparound support for families, and build a stronger, more connected community.
I thought Dear Neighbor and StepStone were already one entity. How are things different now?
Merging these two organizations was first contemplated in 2004. At that time, the decision was made to merge the administrative teams. Since then, Dear Neighbor Ministries and StepStone have shared management, but remained separate 501(c)3s. This merger legally brings the two together as one entity which will reduce duplication of efforts, thereby building capacity to grow more efficiently along with the needs of those we serve.