Rockford Rescue Mission offers hope and assistance in Jesus’ name to help individuals journey from homelessness and despair to personal and spiritual healing.
The Rockford Rescue Mission saves, recovers, and restores homeless and near-homeless men, women, and children through a range of Christ-centred services and programs designed to promote healing, hope, and wholeness.
As a state-certified Life Recovery Home, we provide Christian development and stability to homeless men and women and moms with children who are suffering from issues of abuse, destructive lifestyles, or addictions.
Who Are They?
Survival for the homeless is day to day, frequently looking for the next meal. Every day of the year, the Mission provides a hot, nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner to any hungry man, woman, or kid in the neighbourhood. Every day, the Mission offers roughly 427 meals.
Breakfast is provided at 7 a.m., lunch at noon, and supper at 6 p.m., after the chapel service in the Great Room at 5:30 p.m. Guests enter the Mission through the foodservice entrance on the northeast corner.
Thanksgiving and Christmas special holiday feasts are also available. Donations of food can be dropped off at the foodservice entrance on the north side of the building.
Men’s Crisis Services
The Men’s Crisis Center, situated at 715 West State Street, provides short-term shelter for 130 homeless men. The entrance is on the east side of the building, off Rockton Avenue.
The Center offers emergency shelter, food, clothes, case management, community resources, and medical care. Check-in begins immediately after supper at 7 p.m.
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Women’s Crisis Services
The Women’s Crisis Center, situated at 809 Cedar Street, permits the Mission to provide short-term accommodation for up to 48 homeless women and mothers with children.
The Center offers emergency housing, food, clothes, case management, life-skills training, community resources, and medical care.
We assist in coordinating children’s services, such as public education and emergency childcare. Breakfast and lunch are served in the Mission’s main facility, Hope Place, but dinner is served each evening at the Women’s Crisis Center. Check-in begins at 6 p.m., and supper starts at 7 p.m.
Mission’s Innovative Education Center (I.E.C.) assists men and women in Life Recovery Programs in improving their reading, writing, arithmetic, memory, and problem-solving abilities.
Participants who meet the criteria may additionally study for their G.E.D. or get a high school diploma.
The Mission assists participants and graduates of our recovery programs in preparing for the workforce, including assistance with resume writing and job interview preparation; work-therapy assignments that teach responsibility, accountability, and appropriate workplace communication skills; hands-on experience through Restoration Café and Mission Mart Thrift Store; and an address and phone number where potential employers can contact residents.
Hope Clinic Clinic seeks to keep men, women, and children healthy by providing a comprehensive array of free medical, nursing, chiropractic, and dental services.
The Mission now offers the area’s only accessible dental facility. We can provide these treatments on-site at the Mission because of the voluntary work of our devoted health experts and pharmaceutical contributions (715 West State).
Referrals to Clinics
Hope Clinic provides free medical and dental treatments to residents in the Rockford region who do not have health insurance.
Individuals can get a referral via their church or directly from Hope Clinic.
Community Service
Healing Place is an outreach ministry serving Rockford and the surrounding areas. Healing Place assists women who have experienced domestic abuse and abusive relationships and families struggling with their loved ones’ addictions.
Workshops and seminars are offered regularly to provide practical knowledge and resources to people who find themselves in these circumstances.
“Family Matters,” which meets for the families of current Life Recovery Program participants, is one of the regular support groups.
Is it necessary for residents to pay to stay at the Rescue Mission?
Certainly not! Unlike many other shelters or halfway homes in the region, the Rescue Mission does not charge for services. We believe that the most effective use of their limited money for those suffering a homeless crisis is to work toward self-sufficiency.
Is Charis House a halfway house or a rehab?
Neither. Our programs are not the same as typical halfway homes or rehabilitation centres. The most important criterion for getting help at The Rescue Mission is that a person is homeless.
However, many of our clients also struggle with mental illness, substance misuse, or trauma. Our programs emphasize balanced living, good interpersonal connections, life skills, recovery dynamics, and a relationship with Christ to encourage life transformation.
I’m considering volunteering. What Should I Know?
First and foremost, the options are limitless. Visit the Volunteer section of their website to learn more about volunteering.
There, you may register to become a volunteer certified volunteer and utilize their interactive volunteer calendar to find the ideal position for you.
Individuals Are Referred To The Rescue Mission For Services In What Way?
People come to us in several ways. Many people refer to themselves. Others learn about us through word-of-mouth. Others are referred to them by social assistance organizations, churches, criminal justice programs, or the court system.
How Long Can Residents Remain at the Rescue Mission?
The length of time a resident stays with us is decided by their specific needs and the program they participate in. The duration of stay for visitors in Life House’s Immediate Housing Program can range from one night to one month.
The length of stay in the short-term program at Restoration House and Charis House is generally 3 to 6 months. Men, women, and children can continue in our long-term, Transformational Programs for up to two years, with the option of enrolling in a three-year nonresidential Aftercare Program.
How Is the Rescue Mission Sustainably Funded?
The government does not fund the Rescue Mission. Individuals, foundations, churches, corporations, trusts, and estate contributions are our sole funding sources.
Approximately 80% of our yearly income is derived from financial contributions made by people and companies in their neighbourhoods.
