[title subtitle=”WORDS Catherine Frederick with Heather Sanders, Executive Director Community Rescue Mission”][/title]
Community Rescue Mission is a nonprofit, faith-based organization that provides safe shelter, meals, and needed support to help people get back on their feet as quickly as possible. When people come to their door, most are broken and in crisis with no place to call home. Community Rescue Mission is here to instill hope and empower lives while offering Christ-like hospitality and care since 1981. Do South® reached out to Heather Sanders, Executive Director, to learn more.
Community Rescue Mission
310 N. F Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901
479.782.1443
fscrm.org
DS: How did Fort Smith Rescue Mission come to be?
In 1980. Bob Miller had sold his natural gas drilling company and had the money to invest in a ministry to homeless people. Jon Grimm had sold his ambulance company and had the time to minister to homeless people. Both men had a calling to reach out to those they had met at the Gospel Rescue Mission in Van Buren, Arkansas. Bob was being led to find a place to start a mission when he found that the Westside Baptist Church located on North 3rd Street was for sale. He made a deal with the pastor and bought the property. With the location secured, he and Jon, along with Jon’s wife, Sam, officially opened the mission in 1981.
DS: Who does Fort Smith Rescue Mission serve and in what ways?
We are a homeless shelter. In fact, we are the only homeless shelter in the area who can take full families and keep them together, and we are known for being the go-to place for single dads. We provide safe and secure shelter, free of drugs and alcohol. We provide individualized case management and life skills classes.
DS: Tell us how Fort Smith Rescue Mission impacts our community.
We provide a safe, faith-based family friendly shelter for families struggling to get back on their feet. When a family follows our program guidelines, by the time they are able to move out into a home of their own, they should have a good amount of money saved, debts paid off, life skills learned, and connections to resources. We can serve up to seventy-two people in ten individual units and six dorm rooms. Most families stay with us an average of three months, but that will vary from case to case.
DS: How can our community get involved and support Fort Smith Rescue Mission?
We are privately funded by donors and we are debt free. We depend on our amazing communities’ support through volunteers, financially and through in-kind donations. We provide our residents with all of their needs to include clothing, hygiene items, bedding and when they move out we try to provide them with small housewares. We are always in need of volunteers. Could you give just four hours once a month to help answer the phones, take in donations and greet visitors? If so, we would love to have you come and take a tour.
DS: Are there any upcoming events our readers should know about?
We are having a 90th birthday celebration for our founder Mr. Miller on April 4 at the convention center. We would love to have the community come out and support Mr. Miller. All proceeds will go to help fund the operations at Community Rescue Mission. Please give us a call if you are interested in purchasing tickets.
Next month, we’ll showcase another worthy charity in our area free of charge. If you have a nonprofit you’d like to see recognized, email us at catherine@dosouthmagazine.com.
