For 30 years the Merced County Rescue Mission has served as a beacon of hope and a safe-haven for people experiencing homelessness. Tom and Leticia Miller, who were touched by the plight of people living on the street, founded the Mission in 1991. They established it to reach out with compassion by providing food, water, shelter, clothing, and hope. This kind of gesture was the foundation for what has become one of the largest providers of assistance to people experiencing homelessness in Merced County.
In January 2017, the Rescue Mission was forced to relocate as our 100-year-old building on Canal Street was not up to code. At that time, the Mission had a capacity of about 30-40 beds in three locations. In the four years that have followed, the Mission has expanded its capacity to 24 locations with 180 beds. Within a month, the new Merced Navigation Center being built by the County will open and the Mission will be in charge of operations for approximately 250 beds. This growth has given the Rescue Mission a tremendous opportunity to respond to the needs of people seeking help.
Food, water, shelter, and clothing are still important ways in which the Mission responds to the immediate needs of people. But the Mission offers so much more! People come to the Mission from the streets, from incarceration, from probation, from the hospital, and from referrals from churches, family, and friends. The Mission offers programs at many different levels, including programs for people who need low-barrier settings where they can recover from drug abuse while being able to bring their dog along. In our Respite Care, the Mission provides a home-like setting where people can recuperate after being discharged from the hospital. The Hope for Men and Women programs are for men and women who want to work through issues in their lives in a faith-based environment while they prepare to re-enter society. Transition to Hope offers sober living homes for men and women who have found jobs and are taking steps to move forward on their own. The Mission also has three houses for our Hope for Families program, for families with young children who are experiencing homelessness.
Working together with churches, not-for-profit organizations, the City of Merced, and the County of Merced is key to the work the Rescue Mission is doing in reaching out to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Through collaboration, the Mission is participating in a well-organized effort to address the needs of people. As a faith-based organization, it is our vision to see people experiencing homelessness receive housing, food, clothing, jobs, and life-transformation through the power of Jesus Christ. The Rescue Mission considers itself to be a “Village of Hope” where men and women are given an opportunity to find genuine hope through Christ.
Presently, the Rescue Mission is well on the way to creating a “Village of Hope” on a new campus just a block south of the Merced County Fairgrounds. Completion of Phase 1 of this project is expected by the end of the year and will include our Respite Care, Hope for Families, and Hope for Veterans. The Mission is overwhelmed by the generosity of so many people towards this effort. We continue to be in need of many more donations which will help us complete Phase 2 of this project as we love and care for people through providing hope.
To donate directly to our Building Hope Campaign, which will provide funding for Phase 2 of our new campus, click here. Phase 2 will include buildings for our faith-based program, Hope for Men and Women, a building for pregnant women experiencing homelessness, a Chapel, classrooms, and offices. Click here for more information about what is being built. Please continue to pray for the Mission, our participants, our staff, and our Village of Hope efforts as we look to the future of offering HOPE to those who need it, through the love of Jesus Christ.
A Passion for Restoring Lives