A share-a-thon is scheduled for Sept. 14 to help the Garden City Rescue Mission and Life Development Center raise enough funds to keep its Fenwick Street home.
“Our goal is $495,000, and we are at $333,468,” wrote Julie Feistel, the organization’s financial secretary/executive assistant in a Sept. 9 email.
Officials at the homeless center have had about four months (120 days) to raise the necessary funds.
The rescue mission has been at the same location, 828 Fenwick St., for more than two decades., but in recent months was served with an eviction notice. The owners agreed to allow the organization the first option to purchase the property with four months to raise the money to cover the $495,000 sales price and closing cost while remaining in the building during the time.
Mrs. Feistel’s husband, Patrick, is the executive director and along with the Board of Directors, launched a fundraising campaign four months ago called Rescue the Rescue Mission.
“Our deadline is September the 15th, and we are planning a live event on September 14th. We are calling this our Rescue the Rescue Mission Share-a-thon. It will be hosted at GCRM from 5-9 pm. and will be broadcast live on social media platforms. Anyone wishing for their gifts to be applied to the September 14th event can call (888) 682-0485,” Mr. Feistel wrote in a newsletter.
Visit the rescue mission’s Facebook page here.
The rescue mission has the support of area churches including The Rev. C.T. Townsend, pastor of Victory Baptist Church in North Augusta, who made an appeal in a fundraising letter.
“Together, we have launched the Rescue the Rescue Mission Campaign, and it is our privilege to come alongside the mission and raise awareness to help spread the word of the immediate need,” Townsend wrote in the letter.
The Garden City Rescue Mission and Life Development Center provides food, clothing, shoes, showers, shelter and more to the homeless.
It also offers a Life Development Center upstairs where they offer an addiction and discipleship program. The initial program is four months. After men complete it, they can stay on the shelter for a total of up to 12 months.
On Friday mornings, the center provides resources and showers to men and women in the community.
“The Mission is a life-changing station that provides hope, help, and a safe housing environment for nearly 400 different men off of our streets annually. We provide physical needs daily, making people feel important, wanted, loved, and safe,” Mr. Feistel wrote. “We have Chapel services every night pointing people to Jesus. We also provide a life-saving ministry seeing men freed from addictions in our long-term recovery/discipleship program.”
“We are so excited to see those in the community already jumping to help and would love for others in our CSRA to have an opportunity to also help – Rescue the Rescue Mission – and the… men we provide shelter for each year!”, Mrs. Feistel said.
If the goal is not reached, Mrs. Feistel said they will apply for an extension, but they are confident in reaching their goal.
Correspondent Ron Baxley Jr. is a veteran journalist who has worked with multiple news organizations in his career. Subscribe to the Augusta Good News’ newsletter here.
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