Rescue mission breaks ground for Owen’s House
- Downtown Rescue Mission Board (DRM) Chairman Trey Bentley, at left and DRM President/CEO Keith Overholt unveil the rendering of Owen’s House at the groundbreaking. CONTRIBUTED
HUNTSVILLE – Downtown Rescue Mission celebrated the groundbreaking for Owen’s House, a new building for women and children.
“The mission has seen an unprecedented growth in the number of homeless women, children and families served,” Director of Events & Business Partnerships Tonia Beverly said. “As a result, there is a need for new and larger housing facilities for homeless women, children and families.”
The scenarios for this demographic of local residents “is tragic but one that the Huntsville community can ease by providing opportunities for positive change to take place in this new home for hope,” Beverly said.
The groundbreaking was held at 1400 Evangel Drive NW in Huntsville on Nov. 15. The ceremony included a plaque presentation by Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.
“The new separate facility on our existing property will serve as a homeless shelter and recovery program center for single women and mothers with children. Additional goals are to provide housing for single moms with teenage boys and single fathers with children and to provide emergency shelter for families who have been displaced,” Beverly said.
The new facility will have approximately 30,000 square feet and be built on a vacant portion of the mission’s existing property. The building will provide emergency shelter, recovery program housing and transitional housing for homeless women and children.
After construction, the new facility will free space in the existing building to expand programs for homeless men in transition after completing the recovery program, Keith Overholt said. Overholt is CEO/President of Downtown Rescue Mission.
“This groundbreaking was the culmination of a journey of faith and the beginning of a new home for hope for the women and children of our community,” Senior Director of Development Lisa Davis said.
A nonprofit organization, the Downtown Rescue Mission serves homeless and recovering men, women and children who live throughout North Alabama and South Tennessee. For more than 41 years, the mission has saved numerous lives and has had a profound impact on thousands of others by providing Christ-filled recovery programs and compassionate services to those in desperate need.
For more information, call 256-536-2441 or visit downtownrescuemission.org.
