Thanks to your donations, men and women in our Hope for Men and Women faith based program will enjoy an Easter Dinner with hams and pies. Thank you!!
Hope Programs: This Is What Our Bible Studies Look Like
Sheltering in place, men and women at the Mission are continuing their Bible studies and educational classes online. Tim Cardascia, manager of our Hope for Men program, sent the following text to the Mission staff during a Bible Study held last night:
"Good evening. This is what the current Bible study looks like with the Hope for Men. Gabriel Leung from Gateway Church is leading this group. Technology is truly amazing!"
We are grateful to our teachers and technology that makes it possible for us to continue God's life-changing work during this crisis!
This is what our Bible Studies look like!
Growing Hope in the Midst of a Crisis
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.
Oasis Dinner 2020 - Stay tuned for information about our upcoming virtual Oasis event!
***** POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE *****
The Rescue Mission’s Oasis Dinner is just over two months away! Please mark your calendars and plan to be with us on Saturday, May 9th, at Gateway Community Church. Be sure to come for the great appetizers and the sumptuous dinner. Look forward to the treasures you will find on the silent auction tables. Of course, the live auction will present you with some fabulous opportunities as well. Above all, you certainly won’t want to miss the briefing on the incredible things God has been doing through the Mission during this past year and the vision that lies before us. YOU have been a part of all the great things that have been accomplished, and YOU have contributed through your prayers and gifts to many lives that have been transformed. We look forward to sharing with you a wonderful evening of celebration and anticipation of God’s great work!
For tickets call Bruce Metcalf at (209) 480-3899, or email bmetcalf@missionmerced.org.
NEW CAMPUS, BREAKING GROUND IN 2020
Summer 2020 the Mission hopes to break ground for the first building on our new campus. Hope Medical Respite Care will be a building that houses up to 32 people who are homeless and are being discharged from hospitalization. During the two to four week stay, participants will recuperate as we help them identify permanent housing. We are excited as we see a dream moving towards becoming a reality, and we are grateful for the part all of you are playing in bringing the campus into being. This is only a beginning and we are continuing to work towards raising funds that will build the residences for our Hope for Men and Women's program. Thank you for partnering in this incredible effort to help people.
LEARN MORE HERE
Hope Impact
Hope Impact, with Matt St. Pierre, Executive Director of Restore Merced
When I think about what it means to be made in God's image, the word relationships comes to mind. Just as God exists in relationship - Father, Son, and Spirit - human beings need healthy relationships to thrive - with God, self, others, and creation. The same is true of organizations, especially churches and faith-based ministries. We are called to be obedient to what God is asking us to do, knowing that we are just a part of the body of Christ. Restore Merced's relationship with the Rescue Mission is one of those healthy relationships that I believe makes both organizations better at what we each are called to do.
Over the last 18 months we've run a work program at Restore Merced called Restore Jobs. We give individuals with major barriers to employment paid work experience, classes, case management, and assist with long term job placement. The Rescue Mission has been an incredible partner in this work. 95% of our employees have come by way of the Mission and have continued living in one of their Sober Living houses while working for us. They even get rent discount that recognizes their part-time employment and the importance of their commitment to our program.
Tim, David, and Warren have all been a gift to labor alongside for God's Kingdom here in Merced. I'm grateful for the tireless work they do to find long-term housing and recovery solutions for some of our most marginalized neighbors. I truly believe that we are better together.
Hope Impact
By Rev. Stephen Hammond,
Senior Pastor of Bethel Community Church,
Los Banos
Our hearts are overflowing with excitement this Christmas season as the Merced County Rescue Mission has fulfilled what many have longed for and known that we desperately needed on the Westside of Merced County. They have opened a Respite Care house and a Bridging house in Los Banos. For years we have had to send homeless individuals out of town and even out of the county to find a place for them to stay and receive the help that they greatly needed. The impact of these two houses has been immediate. People who have been struggling to find a way out of their situation are now housed and on the road to recovery. Others who need a healthier environment to recover from their medical needs are safe and secure in a loving setting.
As the Senior Pastor of Bethel Community Church in Los Banos, we are fully committed to see these two houses succeed. Their importance to the work that we are all doing on the Westside of Merced County cannot be overstated. We have partnered with the Merced County Rescue Mission and their staff to fill their houses with people, with provisions, with volunteers, and with prayer to ensure that these houses will stay open and filled. Our church has worked with the homeless for over 15 years now, and this is the most exciting event that has happened in Los Banos in that time and even before. We are thrilled and are already seeing the dramatic impact upon our community. From our hearts here at Bethel we say, “Thank You” to the Merced County Rescue Mission for this endeavor.
