Major grant to fund renovations at Gospel Rescue Mission

A $162,000 grant from the Mabee Foundation will allow Las Cruces Gospel Rescue Mission (LCGRM) to build a new facility, the Compassion in Action (CIA) building, at its campus at 1050 W. Amador Ave.

CIA will house LCGRM’s kitchen, food storage facilities, two dining halls, clothing distribution area, laundry and mentor counseling services, said LCGRM Executive Director Henry Young.

“This generous grant from the Mabee Foundation will have a huge positive impact with respect to our efforts to more effectively feed and house the homeless community in the Las Cruces area,” Young said.

LCGRM has been providing services to people struggling with homelessness for more than 50 years. It can house up to 200 individuals/families and has provided 6,333 bed nights for women and children and 8,740 bed nights for men during the past year, Young said.

LCGRM provides three hot meals a day every day of the year to residents and nonresident homeless, and has served 43,000 meals during the past year, Young said.

The mission provides food distribution to local churches and food banks and has distributed more than 842,000 pounds of food during the past year, he said.

LCGRM operates Mission Cleaning Supply Store and Rock of Ages Thrift Store, 1420 S. Solano Drive. It also operates a clothing store that provides free clothing to the poor and homeless and has given away 115,985 articles of clothing in the past year, Young said.

The Mabee Foundation has offices in Midland, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1948 to help “fund new construction, building renovations and the purchase of major medical equipment for nonprofit organizations,” according to mabeefoundation.com.

 To donate to LCGRM for the CIA project, send a check to Las Cruces Gospel Rescue Mission, P.O. Box 386, Las Cruces, NM 88004 or donate online at www.lcgrm.org.

Contact Young at 575-496-1637 and henry@lcgrm.org.