City Rescue Mission showcases renovations and programs in open house
NEW CASTLE – At the City Rescue Mission, one of the main philosophies the center operates under and wishes to teach to others is to “Love Thy Neighbor.”
That is according to Executive Director Jack Lynn.
On Friday, the Rescue Mission hosted a community open house to showcase both the renovations that recently took place on the men’s ministry side of the building, as well as highlight all of the programs and services the organization offers. It is located at 319 S. Croton Ave. in New Castle.
More: City Rescue Mission leader reflects on homeless services on Homeless Persons' Memorial Day
A new and improved chapel
The McKinney Chapel, named after one of the Rescue Mission’s founders Robert McKinney, received renovations, which included new floors, painting, new audio speaker, and LED screens.
Lynn said being a faith-based organization, learning from Christ and the Bible are important to the programs the Rescue Mission offers.
He said the men, both at the shelter portion and recovery program, receive a 30-minute service every morning before they start their day.
Fresh meals every single day
The men that come into the shelter/recovery program receive three meals a day.
In addition, the mission has a free meal for the community for whoever comes in.
Monday through Saturday it is held around lunchtime, and on Sundays it is held at 5 p.m.
The meals are held every single day of the year.
Lynn said the mission either purchased the food or received donations from the community.
The kitchen received some new appliances, such as new A/C units, stoves, griddles, and refrigerators.
Crossroads Department
Lynn said for the men’s ministry, there are two distinct ministries, an emergency shelter, called the Crossroads Shelter, and a one-year, faith-based recovery program.
For the shelter, Lynn said the mission not only provides temporary shelter and spiritual guidance, but they help the men get their Social Security cards and IDs, helps them find housing and employment and assists them with getting and managing doctor and medical appointments.
As part of the ministry, the Marshall Learning Center received new computers. The center is where men in the shelter can work on getting high school diplomas or GEDs, and get on social media to reconnect to their families and friends.
As part of the shelter, there is a day room that features a lobby with a TV, books and board games; an outside area where the men can smoke and have picnics; the emergency shelter, which is a dorm area; and an area where the men can meet and talk with the mission pastor.
Recovery program
The recovery program is a five-stage program and helps with all forms of addiction, whether it be drugs, alcohol, gambling or pornography.
Lynn said while they are in the program, the men are provided food and clothing, and don’t have jobs, in order to fully concentrate on their recovery.
He said the dorm for the recovery program was renovated, featuring new steel beds, wardrobes and desks, as well as “semi-private” barriers, which allows each man some form of unclosed privacy, while also learning to live and get along with each other, which helps in the recovery process.
“I have received a lot of positive feedback from our guests,” Lynn said.
The recovery program has an “upper room,” which features a lounge area, a library with newly donated bookcases, and a classroom, where the men get two classes a day Monday through Thursday, and one on Friday.
The upper room is where the men have their vespers, or evening prayer, in which they talk about any grievances they may have in order to not go to bed angry. There is also a gym/recreation room.
New telehealth services
Lynn said, under a grant from the Buhl Regional Health Foundation, in collaboration with Primary Health Network, the mission has a new telehealth room.
It is a room that will allow men in the mission to have health screenings, as well as have appointments for mental health.
“We’re really excited by this,” Lynn said.
Lynn said this telehealth room can be used by everyone who comes into the facility, including those who come in for the community meals.
Family care ministry
In addition to the men’s ministry, the City Rescue Mission has Family Care Ministry.
One of the main features of the ministry is the food bank, which provides food to around 50-60 families a month.
The ministry also provides assistance to families in need, with matters such as food, personal care items, household products, clothing, and prayer and wise counsel.
Lynn said for a lot of the families in need, their “relationship poverty” is just as bad as their financial poverty, stating families or individual family members need a place where they can feel welcomed and have a network or connection that listens to them.
The ministry has a back-to-school program where it donated backpacks filled with school supplies. They were distributed these to individuals as well as last year delivering them directly to some of the local schools.
The ministry provides full Thanksgiving meals to families, helping 235-240 families in 2021, as well as a Christmas gift assistance program, helping over 525 children in 2021. Both of these services are held at the mission’s Sankey Center.
A community of support
Lynn said despite the last few years being under the COVID-19 pandemic, the mission has had an outpouring of volunteer help and community donations, stating if it weren’t for the donations, they wouldn’t be able to have these programs.
He said the mission has an annual budget of $2.2 to $2.3 million, as they do not seek any government funding, getting most of their funding and supplies through donations.
“We’re very blessed,” Lynn said. “It’s a group effort.”
While the majority of the people they serve are in Lawrence County, they also take in people from Mercer, Beaver, and Butler counties, as well as people near the edge of the border into Ohio.
Lynn said the mission never shut down a day during the pandemic. In fact, he said the mission didn’t have its first confirmed case of COVID until September 2021.
He said this is a job that can’t be done from home.
More: Pandemic has been 'body blow' to local charities, feeding and helping neighbors in need
CarePortal Program
In November 2021, the mission launched a new web-based service called CarePortal.
Under the program, the mission serves as an ambassador for local churches in order to direct them to help individuals in the community with specific needs, in order to prevent them from being placed into government programs and to keep families together.
For example, if a family needs food or supplies, or is in need of beds or mattresses, the mission will work to coordinate with the churches in order to make sure the family gets what they need.
Lynn said this not only helps the community members with their needs, but also builds a network that can be depended on in the future.
As of right now, there are 11 active churches and three churches in training.
He said any church can get involved.
Looking for more support
The City Rescue Mission currently has openings for the positions of gift processor for the development ministry, and guest monitor for the men’s ministry.
Lynn said they are always looking for more volunteers.
In addition to the main building, the mission has a Women’s Ministry at 1018 Rebecca St., in New Castle, which helps women and children, as well as the Sankey Center, at 125 W. Grant St., in New Castle, which helps any children, and does different activities, such as Centershot Archery.
For information, or to get involved, visit the mission’s website at cityrescuemission.org, email crm@cityrescuemission.org or webmaster@cityrescuemission.org, or call 724-652-4321 for the main building, or 724-652-4349 for the women’s ministry.
Lynn said from now until May 31, a “Friends of the Mission” group, made up of various organizations and individual supporters of the mission, are doing a community matching gift challenge.
The group will match up to $111,000, based on what the community pledges, in honor of the mission being 111 years old.
Nicholas Vercilla is a staff reporter for the Ellwood City Ledger. He can be reached at nvercilla@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ellwood City Ledger: City Rescue Mission showcases renovations and programs in open house