The Rescue Mission in Roanoke is growing, but the trend is not a good reflection of the local economy.
The need has never been greater there.
And this past Thursday the board of directors decided to begin planning for an expansion that would include renovations and repurposing buildings.
About 400 people slept at the Rescue Mission Tuesday night.
CEO of the Rescue Mission, Joy Sylvester Johnson, believes the increasing number of homeless here is a result of several factors including the economy and the time of year.
“We've had some other shelters reduce their number of beds or close entirely,” Johnson said. “So those people staying in those locations need to find new shelter.”
People are staying here longer too because it's more difficult for them to get a job, and housing is pricier.
But they're running out of room - at times having to place mats on the floor to accommodate the crowds.
The plan is to figure out how to repurpose the existing buildings. For example, moving the kitchen and dining room over to the existing thrift store to make room for more bunks.
“So it's like Dominos,” Johnson said. “When one thing moves, everything will move but it solves so many problems.”
The number of women and children staying here is up significantly from last year. It's grown by 25 percent.
Candace McLain is a single mother of three with one on the way.
She arrived here in July and has high hopes for a new career - inspired at the Rescue Mission.
“I couldn't pay my rent and this was my only option,” McLain said. “This experience is making me want to get into some type of social work. That wasn't my plan, but I'm thinking on that now.”
Johnson says the investment will be roughly $1.5 million dollars.
A need she trusts will be met.
