History of Missoula 3:16

On any given night, a significant number of Missoula's homeless men, women, and children congregate under an overpass called the Higgins Street Bridge. In 1999, Missoula 3:16 Rescue Mission began its ministry as volunteers brought food and blankets to these homeless people who desparately needed the bare essentials of life. The Missoula 3:16 Rescue Mission, which is a 501(c)(3) corporation, has the mission "to passionately pursue changed lives by offering hope to the homeless and needy by demonstrating the Gospel of Jesus Christ." The Mission's tag line is "taking Jesus to the streets," which is accomplished by demonstrating God's love in practical ways such as providing hot meals, clothes, sleeping bags, blankets, and other comfort to cold, hungry, and hurting individuals. Outreach efforts are based on a commitment to respect each person, addressing specific needs in a personalized manner to bring hope and provide lasting solutions that result in transformed lives of people who then become productive members of the community.

The Missoula 3:16 Rescue Mission is associated with the nationwide Association of Gospel Rescue Missions that serve those who are struggling with homelessness, poverty, and recovery issues. These individuals often cannot or will not seek services elsewhere due to mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or fear. The Mission operates according to Christian charitable values, and all programs and services are offered without regard to gender, race, or faith.

Needs of the Homeless in Missoula County

The Mission serves Missoula County, comprised of a population of over 101,400 people (U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate). According to the 2008 Montana Homeless Survey, there were 906 homeless people in Missoula County on January 31, 2008, which is a sixty-three percent increase over the count of 553. (The full survey is available at http://www.mthomeless.org/.) Although the number of homeless people in Missoula County is probably higher than the recorded statistics, this survey provides a benchmark each year used to analyze the needs of the area. The Mission currently operates two programs that address the needs of the homeless as well as those struggling with addictive behaviors.

How Missoula 3:16 Is Responding to the Homeless

Day Center

The Mission operates a Day Center located in downtown Missoula, which is open 365 days a year and provides food, clothing, blankets, Alcoholic Victorious groups, Bible studies, weekend worship services, phones, mailboxes, and referrals to other agencies. In 2007, the Mission served 34,995 meals, distributed 1,323 food boxes, and provided holiday meal events at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Two full-time staff and approximately 20 volunteers, who give of their time on a weekly basis, operate the Day Center. Approximately 75 volunteers help with special events such as the meals served at Christmas and Thanksgiving.

School of Christ Men's Residential Regeneration Program

A School of Christ residential men's regeneration program was launched in November 2007 for those who seriously desire to break cycles of addiction, homelessness, and other dysfunctional behaviors. Seven men are currently enrolled in the four to eighteen month program directed by a professional pastoral counselor. Two of the men now have jobs and expect to graduate from the program within the next two months. One part-time director, a full-time work director, three part-time resident assistants (who cover night shifts), and approximately 6 volunteers operate the School of Christ.

The Homeless in Montana Report of 2004 indicated that approximately 73 percent of the chronically homeless cited drug/alcohol, mental health issues, or both of these conditions as factors in their homelessness. (The full report is available at http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/homelessinmontana.pdf.) This report also listed the following services most needed by chronically homeless people:

• Emergency shelter and food
• Transitional/permanent housing
• Substance abuse treatment
• Primary health care treatment
• Case management/brokering services
• Cash assistance
• Entitlements and income supports
• Life skills
• Community living skills
• Family reunification
• Job skills / self-sufficiency

It is interesting to note that the School of Christ provides at least ten of the twelve services shown to most effectively address the needs of chronically homeless people. The School of Christ provides the following services:

• Transitional housing for up to eight men
• Nutritious meals and the development of an organic garden
• Christian-based recovery groups focused on breaking the substance abuse cycle
• Referrals for counseling and/or medication for mental illness
• Transportation to community resources such as medical and legal appointments
• Personal case management and spiritual counseling
• A peer support system providing practice in community living and life skills
• Family counseling
• On the job training through one of the Mission's social ventures
• Referrals for other vocational training and education such as GED classes

Funding Needs of Missoula 3:16

Missoula 3:16 Rescue Mission is seeking increased funding based on current opportunities to build the organization's capacity to expand services to homeless men, women, and children of Missoula County and to bring transformation to many more lives.

Staffing

Missoula 3:16 Rescue Mission's staff includes four full-time positions and six part-time positions. Current staff positions are as follows:

General Administration

• Executive Director (full-time)
• Development Director (part-time)
• Bookkeeper (part-time)
• Receptionist (part-time - provided by the Experience Works service in Missoula)

Day Center Personnel

• Center Supervisor (full-time)
• Ministry/Program Director (full-time)
• Operations Manager (part-time position includes benevolence fund management, food pantry supervision, and serving as a liaison between Executive Director and Day Center staff)

School of Christ Personnel

• Director (half time)
• Work Director (full time)
• Resident Assistant(s) (part-time positions filled by three men for night duty)

To increase the capacity of the staff to meet current program needs, several staffing issues are under consideration in regards to positions, hours, and pay. Staffing considerations include 1) increasing the School of Christ Director position to full-time, 2) increasing the School of Christ Work Director salary to be comparable with those of other similar rescue mission organizations, 3) increasing salaries of the full-time staff at the Day Center to be comparable with those of similar organizations, 4) increasing the Missoula 3:16 Executive Director salary to be comparable with other rescue missions, 5) providing a full-time Development Director position with comparable salary to other rescue missions, 6) providing a part-time Volunteer Coordinator for all Missoula 3:16 programs, 7) providing a health insurance plan for all eligible Missoula 3:16 staff. The total annual cost to cover these staffing considerations is approximately $65,000.

Facilities

1. Missoula 3:16 would like to purchase the facility that currently houses the School of Christ residential men's addiction recovery program. The 4,700 square foot facility with 800 square foot wood shop is located on a 1.6-acre site, which is currently occupied under a three-year lease purchase agreement. The purchase price is $285,000. The facility is also in need of a new roof ($16,000) and asphalt driveways ($14,000). Total facility costs are approximately $315,000.

2. Missoula 3:16 would like to find and purchase a facility to replace the current 900 square foot facility that houses the Day Center. The current site lacks a commercial kitchen and has inadequate space for serving the 50-60 people who currently depend on the Day Center for 2 meals per day. The new site would also house an emergency shelter and transitional housing program for women. An ideal facility would be comprised of approximately 8,000 square foot with commercial kitchen, large open meeting area, and lodging accomodations. The cost of a suitable building in the Missoula area is estimated to be approximately $500,000 before improvements such as a commercial kitchen.

Food

Missoula 3:16 provides daily meals at the Day Center and the School of Christ men's program, which totaled about 35,000 meals in 2007. The Mission also operates a food pantry and distributed over 1,300 food boxes in 2007 to families in need. Although the Mission receives in-kind donations of food from the Missoula Food Bank, local markets, and individuals, there is a need for a reserve of cash to supplement the in-kind donations in order to create complete, nutritious meals for the various programs. Total annual cash for food items is approximately $25,000.

New Programs

As mentioned under the Facilities section, the Mission would like to begin an emergency shelter and transitional housing program for women. In addition to a facility, the Mission will need funding to cover the cost of staff and program items. The total annual cost for the women's program is approximately $75,000.

Summary of Funding Opportunities

A summary of funding opportunities for the Missoula 3:16 Rescue Mission is as follows:

The Mission's 2008 budget of $325,000 is supported primarily by donations from individuals and businesses as well as several smaller foundation grants. The current donor database mailing list is comprised of 2,717 names. The table below shows Missoula 3:16's growth over the past two years as well as to date revenues.

The financial statistics indicate Missoula 3:16 is financially stable and has great potential for increasing services to the homeless over the coming years. Based on factors such as increasing food and fuel costs, the rate of homelessness is expected to rise in Missoula County, and the proposed expanded Christian-based services of Missoula 3:16 will be critical for the area served.