Since 1969, the Cleveland based Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) has served people who are homeless, unemployed, involved in the criminal justice system, at-risk youth, and vulnerable adults throughout Northeast Ohio. Each year, LMM serves more than 10,000 people with the help of thousands of volunteers. In 2011 alone, LMM assisted 359 people in obtaining employment and 647 people in completing job training or education programs. In 2009, LMM launched its ‘Building on the Promise’ capital campaign to finance a larger, more integrated facility to better serve clients. With support of the State of Ohio, foundations, individuals, and corporations, PNC Bank and the Cleveland New Markets Investment Fund II provided $8 million in NMTC financing to make the project a reality. The Richard Sering Center, scheduled to open in November 2012, was in an old glove factory in Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. The 40,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility includes 80 staff offices and a Central Kitchen to provide meals to local homeless shelters. The center allows for expanded job and volunteer training programs and also launch a new partnership with North Presbyterian Church with shared space for the congregation. The two social enterprise programs, Central Kitchen and Metro Metal Works, that build and install bicycle racks, will flourish as they apply earned-income strategies to operate businesses that empower individuals experiencing barriers to employment with a goal of long-term employment. The center is located in a highly distressed community with high poverty and unemployment rates. It addition to expanded services, the new center created 20 construction jobs and some 80 permanent jobs were created or retained.