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Rescue Mission kicks off $9.5M fundraising goal
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
Not long ago, Doug Gough found himself in St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital’s trauma center after having been in a head-on collision with a cement truck in Lordstown.
As if that weren’t enough, he also was struggling with a drug addiction and had nowhere to go.
Fast-forward six years, though, and the Newton Falls man isn’t shy about sharing the major transformations that have occurred in his life – nearly all of which he attributes to a strong faith in God and help he received during his stay at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley.
“They loved me right where I was. They gave me hope,” said Gough, who went from being a client down on his luck and in physical pain to a staff member – serving as client adviser, supervisor of men’s services and the discipleship coordinator.
Now he is hoping another transformation will take place – that enough funds will be raised to build a new mission on the South Side.
Gough shared part of his story of struggle and triumph during Thursday morning’s “Move Our Mission” capital campaign news conference at the mission, 962 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., near downtown.
The campaign is to help fund a $9.5 million, 50,000-square-foot facility that will be on a 17.5-acre parcel in the former South Side Park near East Delason and East Warren avenues, which the city deeded to the mission in 2010.
The building will replace the current 85-year-old, 27,000-square-foot facility – the former home of the West Federal Street YMCA Branch – and more effectively meet clients’ needs, noted Jim Echement, executive director.
So far, about two-thirds of the cost has been raised, including an estimated $2.4 million from mission supporters, he said, adding construction could get underway next spring.
The Rescue Mission provides a variety of spiritual and educational programs to help clients of all ages and backgrounds get back on their feet and work toward returning to greater productivity.
Its normal overnight capacity is 101 men and 67 women and children, with an additional emergency capacity of 30 cots, according to its website.
The faith-based mission does not take public dollars.
“We are often at or beyond capacity in our present building; there is no room for expansion, and further repairs to it would not be cost-effective,” Echement said. “With the new facility, we’ll be able to better meet the immediate needs of those we serve, while also expanding upon our educational programs.”
Specifically, the current four-story building’s major structural problems include restrooms that are partly or entirely in disrepair, poorly insulated single-pane windows, crumbling sections of the slate roof, water damage to portions of the ceilings and standing water in the basement, which also houses a variety of supplies, noted John Muckridge, the mission’s deputy director.
Calling it “a moral imperative,” Echement said the new facility is crucial for allowing the mission to more smoothly perform its functions, operate on a higher level for clients and better serve the community. He also praised volunteers who serve meals and help in other capacities.
For Gough, the mission’s offerings were invaluable and helped to turn his life around, he told the audience of about 80.
“I came here in 2011,” he said. “I just want to say this – thank you for saving my life.”
Making additional remarks were state Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd; Flor “Shorty” Navarro, president of Stadium Auto Group and a longtime contributor; and the Rev. Gary L. Frost, a member of Mercy Community Church on the West Side.
The deadline for securing pledges is Dec. 31. To make a donation, call the mission at 330-503-6774, or go to www.moveourmission.org.