First Step Back Home

Our History

In 2000, Paul and Lana established a ministry to serve over-the-road truckers in Foristell, MO at the TA Truck Stop on Highway 70. This Trucker Church Ministry still exists today, and has now provided Christian services to more than 4,700 truckers. During Paul’s early involvement with the Trucker Church Ministry, he became aware of the lack of resources and gaps in service by local social service providers for the homeless in St. In the winter of 2005 he began researching the homeless problem, became involved with the St. Charles County Continuum of Care group, and started to consider what he could personally do to meet the needs of homeless who were coming to him for help during Trucker Church services. In March 2005, Paul founded the First Step Back Home (FSBH) Homeless Ministry, spawned by a $1,000 gift from a local business that helped cover outlays he had been personally making to assist the homeless. FSBH was established as a qualified 501(c)(3) public charity in February, 2007. In 2009, Paul retired from his home repair business of 18 years to focus all of his attention on what he considered to be a serious local homeless problem. By the grace of God and the glory of the Gospel, FSBH has assisted more than 5,000 homeless in the local area to date in getting lodging, food, clothing, jobs, and transportation, in their quest to become self-supporting. FSBH now assists many of the homeless, usually referred by the Salvation Army, Crider Health Center and other social service agencies, churches, hospitals, police departments, individuals, local businesses and government.