A Mission United
The purpose of the Rescue Outreach Mission is quite simple: to provide a safe, supportive and healing environment in which disadvantaged or homeless people receive the assistance they need to mend their lives and return to self sufficiency. This simple and effective strategy copes with the complexities that deny many people their basic needs. And what the Rescue Outreach Mission has been able to accomplish through their work is simply incredible.
“With organizations like [AdventHealth] aligning themselves with our mission, we can continue to make a significant impact on the lives of homeless, disadvantaged families and individuals in Central Florida.” - Ernie Hamilton
On a monthly basis, the Rescue Outreach Mission provides shelter to 300 people, each of whom stays an average of six months to a year. Through their Loaves and Fish Program, residents of the shelter receive three meals a day, seven days a week; additionally, they serve lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday, to other needy members of the community. Total meals served each month tops 6,000, and in their 25-year history, the Rescue Outreach Mission has distributed more than one million breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and housed nearly 20,000 men, women and children.
Beyond the immediate needs of food and shelter, the mission also provides several educational, financial and counseling programs. Some examples include their Pathway to Home Program, which helps families find affordable housing, and Opportunities of Hope, a program funded by the United Way wherein the mission’s case managers help people re-establish self-sufficiency and find gainful employment. Their professional team of ministers and counselors utilize observational and diagnostic testing to assess the needs of each individual, and guide them on the path toward realizing his or her full potential, with many taking crucial steps to become contributors to our collective community.
Beyond the immediate needs of food and shelter, the mission also provides several educational financial and counseling programs.
Benefiting from a full tapestry of support, the Rescue Outreach Mission is funded through the generous contributions of numerous churches, foundations, service clubs, individuals, businesses and non-profits. AdventHealth is extremely proud to be among this group because of our common thread in humanitarian outreach. As an official sponsor of their team-based annual fundraiser “The Rescue Run Corporate 5K” — Seminole County’s only corporate event — we helped double race attendance from approximately 400 runners and walkers in 2010, to 800 in 2011. The event raised $24,000 for the mission, and we’re anticipating an even greater outpouring of participation and support for the 2012 race being held in March, for which we will again provide sponsorship.
“AdventHealth’s support helps us do what we do every day,” said Ernie Hamilton, executive director and board member of the Rescue Outreach Mission. “With organizations like this aligning themselves with our mission, we can continue to make a significant impact on the lives of homeless, disadvantaged families and individuals in Central Florida.”
By working directly with the individuals in need and uniting with organizations that can allocate support, the Rescue Outreach Mission has become incredibly effective in its approach to turning lives around for thousands of people. Through the pure and simple love of Christ and a safe family environment, they are able to minister to each man, woman and child — providing tools and inspiring hope for a better future.
