New transitional housing units dedicated by Sunday Breakfast Mission and partners

The Sunday Breakfast Mission celebrated the dedication of two newly rehabilitated homes developed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County. (Photo by Carol Houseal)

WILMINGTON — The Sunday Breakfast Mission (SBM) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the dedication of two newly rehabilitated homes aimed at supporting individuals transitioning out of homelessness.

The homes, developed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, will serve as transitional housing for SBM’s New Life Discipleship Program graduates and its interns through the Aftercare II program. The initiative offers residents one to two years of stable housing while they pursue goals such as completing education or saving for a home. 

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“This is something we want to see happen not just here, but around the nation,” said Sunday Breakfast Mission President and Senior Pastor Rev. Tom Laymon. 

Two additional houses on the same block are currently under construction for future participants, with building efforts led by The Challenge Program.

“We’re setting it up for interns to come here and live in one of these houses as well and begin to learn what happens here at Sunday Breakfast Mission and be able to take it back to another rescue mission across the United States,” Laymon said. 

The marks a milestone in cross-sector collaboration between faith-based organizations, nonprofits, and local leaders. Habitat for Humanity served as the general contractor for the housing renovations, an emerging role that the organization hopes to expand with similar partners.

“This created an opportunity for us to pilot being a general contractor for other nonprofits,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County. 

Mayor John Carney, who attended the event, praised the effort as a model for meaningful collaboration.

“The only way to make progress is through very solid, committed partnerships,” Carney said. “And what I think about those partnerships that we have here in Wilmington, and the ones that I see right in front of me—we’re really set up to make real progress at so many levels.”

The Aftercare II homes represent the next step in SBM’s mission to provide emergency shelter and create sustainable pathways for long-term stability.