Village of Hope Opened on Friday, March 4th

The Village of Hope campus opened for participants on Friday, March 4th. One of our Hope Respite Care houses will be moving their participants to the new facility, and once they are settled, participants from the second Respite Care house will move in.

Ten veterans experiencing homelessness are eager to move in, and families with young children will also be excited to move in. Opening phase one will increase our capacity from 250 beds to 320. Grants from Central CaliforniaAlliance for Health and Dignity Health provided the funding which spearheaded the construction of phase one of the Village of Hope campus.

Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Friday, April 22nd

at Village of Hope Campus,

More details coming soon

New Campus Needs -

As we open our new campus, we are grateful for all the donations received to provide furnishings for the new facilities. The only items we are looking for are eight, gently used hide-a-beds for our Hope for Families program.

For inquiries, please contact CEO Dr. Bruce Metcalf at (209) 480-3899 or COO David Carr at (209) 354-0559.

Click here to give today! Donate one-time or set up monthly donations. Choose your gift designation at the time of your donation. We appreciate your support!

GRATITUDE

As human beings who not only believe in God but also have a personal relationship with God through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, it is a privilege to live in a state of gratitude for all that God provides. To state the obvious, we have gratitude to God for life, for breath, for essential provisions which include food and shelter, and for loving relationships. Unfortunately, many of the people served by the Mission do not have essential provisions and they are lacking loving relationships. We have been called to love, to provide HOPE, and to serve people who have great needs. As a Mission, it is our opportunity to reach out to people, empowered by the gratitude that wells up within us, and love those who are unloved, give HOPE to the hopeless, and serve those who feel undeserving.

Gratitude is a state of being and is a wonderful gift that we have received. It is a gift, not to be selfishly grasped, but one to be shared. You as our donors have received a full measure of gratitude and you have chosen to share it with others. Your gratitude expressed through your giving to the Mission has been a catalyst for change in the lives of countless men and women who have come to know Jesus Christ for themselves. These men and women, in turn, have expressed their own gratitude to others, which has created a positive environment that is infectious. The Mission is grateful to all our donors and we want to thank you for all that you are doing to change lives! The work of the Mission is yours and we are so grateful for the partnership we share.

Click here to give today.

Village of Hope - New Campus Update

Anticipation, excitement, and curiosity are all factors driving us to project a date. We thought we would be able to open our doors to participants in January, but we have had a few delays. Our contractor, Commercial Construction of Merced, has done an incredible job in keeping the project on pace. A few minor hold-ups beyond their control have caused us to pause temporarily on opening the facilities. We are hoping that in the beginning of March, we will be able to take in residents and expand the services that we offer to people experiencing homelessness. Building 1 will take in people discharged from the hospital. Building 2 will provide permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans. Building 3 will offer transitional accommodations for families with young children who are experiencing homelessness. As soon as we can identify an opening date, we will also let you know of a date for a Grand Opening.

If you are interested in a group tour, please contact Bruce Metcalf, CEO, 209-480-3899, or David Carr, Chief Operating Officer, 209-354-0559.

Click here to learn more and to see pictures of construction progress.

Happy to share with you one of the "quads" (rooms that house four) in the new Respite Care facility. These rooms are for individuals discharged from the hospital with nowhere to go.

Village of Hope, New Campus Update: Phase 1 & 2

Phase 1, New Campus Update

The first phase of the Village of Hope campus will be a wonderful addition to our county where homeless families, veterans, and people recovering from hospitalization will find love, hope, and a home. As we have previously reported, the first phase is nearing completion. We hope to bring in residents before the end of this month. At the beginning of December, David Carr, our Chief Operating Officer, and Anthony Choza, our Operations Manager, flew to Tennessee, where they rented a truck and loaded up our purchase of beds, mattresses, wardrobes, and dressers and spent the next three days driving across the country. Upon arrival in Merced, men from our Hope for Men program helped unload. This trip saved about three thousand dollars in shipping. We are so grateful to so many of you, individuals, churches, organizations, and businesses who have generously contributed to furnishing the new facilities.

Phase 2, New Campus Update

While we are excited about the completion of the first phase of the Village of Hope, phase 2 will provide space for our faith-based programs which are the core of who we are as the Merced Rescue Mission. Phase 2 will allow us to almost double the number of men and women whose lives will be transformed through the power of Jesus Christ. Fundraising is underway to raise 7 to 8 million dollars for this dream to become a reality. We hope that in just a few years we can reach out to you once again to furnish facilities for phase 2.

To contribute to the construction of phase 2, choose Building Hope Campaign as your gift designation at the time of your donation.

A Christmas Eve Banquet

Thank you to all of you who helped the Rescue Mission serve over 600 meals to people who feasted on a Christmas Eve Banquet! Many received their meal at the Behavioral Health Department parking lot next to New Directions. At this location, we distributed blankets, jackets, socks, hats, and warm clothing together with hygiene kits. Hundreds of grateful recipients, people experiencing homelessness, came and were fed and received clothing. Some of the people who enjoyed this feast are temporarily living in the D Street Shelter or the Navigation Center. Volunteers also took this meal along with clothing out to people in encampments in various locations around Merced. While it is the desire of the Rescue Mission to do all we can as we collaborate with other organizations, the City of Merced and the County of Merced, to help people find housing, it is also our desire to bring a glimpse of joy and hope to each person in this special season, as we celebrate the birth of Christ. As director of the Rescue Mission, I want to praise and thank all of our staff members, men, and women in our programs, and board members who gave their time and energy on Christmas Eve and before preparing for this event in order to meet the needs of others!!