South Side Mission purpose is to proclaim Jesus Christ, and in His name love our neighbors and provide hope to the community through life-transforming ministries.

In 1925, a woman name Helen Haien had the vision to reach children from lower-income families in Peoria with the love of Jesus. She would go out, pick up children, and bring them back to her house on Sanger Street for an all-day Sunday School. The inhabitants of the area were not only economically disadvantaged, but had little hope of moving beyond their present physical conditions. Over the years, her Sunday School grew so large that she had to move out of the house and into a larger building on Olive Street. South Side Mission changed locations several times before building on the present campus at 1127 South Laramie Street in 1990.

While the location has changed over the years, one thing has remained constant. The South Side Mission’s aim is not only to alleviate the powerful physical poverty of those on the south end but a determination to offer life-transforming change through the spiritual hope of Jesus Christ.

Camp Kearney is a ministry of the South Side Mission of Peoria, Illinois that has offered a Christian-based camping program to economically disadvantaged children of Peoria and Central Illinois for over 60 years. Only 17 miles from the city of Peoria, Camp Kearney is located on 155 picturesque acres, filled with the beauty of God’s creation.