Time is Golden
Getting to spend an afternoon in the warehouse, just hanging out, observing what was going on around me made me really stop and think about life and what a blessing not only the Need-A-Break Program is, but the Rescue Mission is in general. After being founded in 1912 to serve homeless men in Tacoma, almost 100 years later it has expanded to serve women and children as well, in all parts of Pierce County. This could not have been possible without much help and support from staff, volunteers, and outside organizations. I was able to meet some of the guys who work and volunteer in the warehouse, who are enrolled in some of the various programs that are offered through the Rescue Mission, and I was both surprised and rewarded. I was surprised by how young they were and I felt rewarded that I was able to meet people who had chosen to get help and to take the right steps towards getting their lives turned around.
The Rescue Mission serves more than 1,800 healthy, nutritious meals monthly to people who would otherwise go hungry, provides shelter to more than 450 people every night, and helps people in all parts of Pierce County, including Fife, Lakewood, Puyallup-Sumner and Tacoma. I have had the opportunity to sit down and have lunch with some of the families staying at Adam’s and it was a wonderful feel-good experience. To see the smiles on the kid’s and mother’s faces as they interacted with each other over a hot meal was something that will stick with me forever.
Not only does the Rescue Mission provide food and shelter for people in need but there are also a variety of different programs that are offered through the Rescue Mission including drug and alcohol rehabilitation services for both men and women through the New Life Program; tutoring and support services for children through the Youth Program; and free skills training, resume assistance, GED preparation and learning assistance at the Challenge Learning Center.
Therefore, there are so many opportunities that many people have been able to utilize and get their lives turned around and headed in the right direction through the Rescue Mission. Without these programs, support, and facilities, many people would not be able to get the help they need. Aside from donating to the warehouse, you can donate your time and smiles to help out. There are a number of different volunteer opportunities including serving meals in the Good Neighbor Café, helping with after school programs at the Tyler and Adams St. Family Campuses, teaching classes, cleaning, yard work, custodial work, organizing a family fun night at the Adam’s St. Family Campus, or helping out in our donation center. In addition, there are seasonal opportunities for Musicians to play for the dinners at the Downtown and Adam’s Campuses. For more detail on how to get involved, please visit our volunteer page at http://www.rescue-mission.org/volunteer and find out how you can get involved today! Also, be sure to take advantage of our TEXT2GIVE program where you text GIVEBACK to 85944 & reply YES to confirm a gift of $10 to the Rescue Mission. On average, it costs $1.87 to serve one meal, think about how tummy’s can be fed with $10.00!