When Mike Musser looks into the faces of the people he's helping, he sees himself. And when he does, one of his hopes is that they will have what he has now.

Musser's Street Ministry is based in empathy and inspired by hope.

"I also see people I used to live with on the streets," said Musser. "They see our consistency, and when they're ready, they come to us. My wife and I started it, and we did it by ourselves. Now we're getting more people to help. The need doesn't get missed. Every day in Lancaster, there are food giveaways, except Sundays. That's why we do it on Sundays."

Musser and his wife, Sarah, founded Musser's Street Ministry in 2023. With the help of eight to 10 volunteers, the Mussers distribute meals to more than 50 individuals right there on the sidewalks outside of First Reformed Church, 40 E. Orange St., Lancaster, on the second and last Sundays of every month.

Prior to distribution, the food is prepared at Leola United Methodist Church and Breakout Ministries in Leola.

"I made some bad choices when I was younger, and I was homeless once," said Musser, a 55-year-old resident of Leola. "I used to go to the free meals in Lancaster. There was a gentleman there who would hand out stuff out of the trunk of his car. I made a promise to God that if I ever got out of that situation, I'd give back. I've been out of that situation for seven and a half years, and now I'm deeply involved in the recovery community."

Musser also spent three years in jail before finding his way to The Potter's House recovery center and its Jesus Advantage program. Not only did the program change the direction of Musser's life, but it also changed him.

"I'm a totally different person," said Musser. "I was clean when I started going there, but I wasn't an open person. I didn't like to talk about it. Now, I'm more open. Because of my ministry, I have to give my testimony. I would've never done that before Jesus Advantage. That's how you stay free of what you're dealing with. The more you talk about what you're going through, the more people can help you."

Jesus Advantage is a Christian-based recovery meeting for people with addictions. Musser began going to meetings when Jesus Advantage was started five years ago, and he still attends.

"I worked at The Potter's House, and that's how I got involved with Jesus Advantage," said Musser. "You can go there, be honest about what you're going through and people will pray for you, and you don't have to worry about people judging you. You can talk freely about your religion. Their motto is, 'Get free and stay free.' It's big-time accountability, and it helped change my life."

"You don't have to be going to church for us to help you," Musser added. "When you're ready for a change, we'll get you off the street. When people get out of rehab, we stay in touch. It's a whole process. We help them with anything they need. I want the person struggling on the street to have what I have now. But it takes a good support system like Jesus Advantage. Everybody needs help at some point."

Musser's work at The Potter's House regularly took him to the nonprofit Blessings of Hope. It was there that he met Sarah, who was working at the front desk.

Musser proposed to Sarah at a Jesus Advantage meeting, and now they've been married for three years.

"She's beautiful, and she's my best friend," said Musser, a native of the Elizabethtown area. "When I saw her, God told me that's my wife. When we first started dating, I told her my story. Now, here we are three years later, and I'm living my best life. She's all in. She's totally supportive."

For additional information, go to http://www.mussers-street-ministry.com.