Together with all of you, our community, and our nation we are facing the crisis of the coronavirus. We are doing our best to continue reaching out to those in need. Our 130 plus resident participants are currently sheltering in place. We have designated shoppers to bring food and supplies to 20 locations, and classes are being taught online.
In the midst of difficult times, we need you, our donors, to help us rally to meet this challenge. Your prayers and your contributions are a lifeline to help the Mission not only stay the course, but to provide hope and life-transformation for men and women who desperately want to find a way out of darkness and despair. Thank you to everyone who has already rallied with us to meet this challenge, please continue to keep us in your prayers.
For those with a growing concern about our homeless population and wonder what is being done to help people into a better life, I’m going to share with you a brief summary about the Mission: where the Mission has come from, where we are now, and what our vision is for the future. And we hope you will share this with others, because working together we can change our community.
In 1991 Tom and Letitia Miller’s hearts were moved by the plight of people who were homeless on the streets of Merced. They established the Merced Rescue Mission to reach out with compassion by providing food, water, shelter, clothing, and hope in Christ. Their spirit of caring and the love of Jesus they exhibited for those who had little or nothing became the foundation for what has become one of the largest providers of assistance to the homeless in Merced County. Between 1991 and 2017, the Mission sought to help people not only in the short-term with a meal and overnight shelter, but long-term through structured, faith-based programs lasting several months where those who are lost can heal in a loving home, find Christ, and find a better way of life. During this time, we rented a home to house our faith-based women’s program.
In January of 2017, the Rescue Mission was forced to leave its facility on Canal Street where the faith-based men’s program was housed because it was no longer habitable, and we rented another home to keep our men’s program going. At the end of 2017 the Rescue Mission had two locations and beds for about 30 residents.
When the Mission had to leave the Canal Street location, hope didn’t fade, HOPE GREW BECAUSE OF YOU. You saw HOPE in our mission and your hope has helped us grow from two locations to over 20 locations in just three short years, with beds for 160 residents. The Merced County Rescue Mission is now stretching to meet the needs of people who are crying out for help, as God gives us opportunity. The core of the Mission’s work continues to be the three to nine-month, faith-based residential discipleship program, Hope for Men and Hope for Women. In addition, the Mission has two respite care homes in Merced and one in Los Banos for people being discharged from the hospital with no place to go. These respite care homes provide a place for people to recover while Mission staff works on helping to find them permanent housing. The Mission’s five sober living houses provide a place for graduates of our faith-based discipleship program to take the next step towards independence as they begin jobs and begin to take financial responsibility for themselves. Our six bridging houses offer low barrier shelter to help men and women get off the streets and provide a chance to start over. Over 80% of the Mission’s staff are graduates of the discipleship program and they bring energy, personal investment, and a strong sense of purpose to helping others.
The Rescue Mission is working to find houses to rent in Livingston, Atwater, and Los Banos so that we can meet the need and add six bridging houses. The Mission is also working diligently to develop a campus on the five acres of land purchased in December of 2018. The Mission hopes to break ground in August for the construction of a building for Hope Respite Care. As part of the first phase on the new campus the Mission is also developing plans for two ten-unit apartment buildings, one for homeless Veterans and one for homeless families with young children. The second phase of the new campus will include buildings for the Mission’s faith-based men and women’s discipleship program, Hope for Men and Hope for Women, and a building for homeless pregnant women. Upon completion, the Rescue Mission will have beds for about 300 residents – with approximately half housed on campus and half housed off campus in sober living homes and bridging homes. The vision for this new campus is to provide a Village of Hope for all those who come for help. Through Christ, the Merced County Rescue Mission is seeking to be a place where HOPE GROWS and where people know that they are LOVED.
During this ongoing health crisis, please remember us as we strive to help those in need. You can be a part of growing hope and spreading Christ’s love – Please donate today to the Merced County Rescue Mission online or by mail. Together we can change our community, one life at a time.
