Rescue Mission Needs Help

For 30 years, the doors of the San Diego Rescue Mission have been open to the less fortunate of our society--those who needed a meal, a place to sleep, a shower. Today they are closed.

A year and a half ago, the mission sold its 5th Avenue building and planned to move to larger quarters on J Street. The new mission will be able to feed 1,000 people, rather than the 350 the old site could handle, and it will have beds for women and children in addition to men.

But, for now, those who need the Rescue Mission’s services must turn elsewhere, to the jam-packed facilities of St. Vincent de Paul, God’s Extended Hand and Catholic Community Services.

The Rescue Mission has left its old location and needs at least $400,000 to pay debts on the new building before it can open on J Street. In all, the mission owes about $1.45 million to banks and individuals.

Fund-raising efforts on the mission’s behalf have been started by the Gaslamp Quarter Council, San Diegans Inc., Centre City Development Corp. and Central City Assn. But the contributions of people from throughout the community also are needed.

In recent months, the plight of the homeless--a much-discussed, much-reported topic last year--has largely been pushed out of our collective conscience by the exciting and positive developments in downtown San Diego.

But an innovative new shopping center doesn’t provide beds for those who have no place to sleep; a new trolley line won’t feed those who are hungry. After three decades of providing assistance to others, the San Diego Rescue Mission now turns to the community for help. We hope the community responds.