San Diego Rescue Mission
The San Diego Rescue Mission serves the needs of the poor, addicted, abused, and homeless in San Diego.
Beginning in 1954, San Diego church and business leaders met to address the growing plight of the community’s homeless and hungry. The San Diego Rescue Mission was founded in 1955 and immediately began providing food, clothing, and spiritual guidance to the region’s homeless. In 1958, the Mission included a soup kitchen and short term shelter and services for up to 85 men. Two years later, the Mission made history by opening the first women’s shelter.
As city redevelopment efforts intensified in the mid-1980s, the number of homeless grew to a crisis level. Once again the San Diego Rescue Mission responded by opening a new and larger facility at 1150 J Street. New programs provided an innovative approach by offering educational and vocational training.
In 1990, 8,000 nights of shelter, 27,000 meals, and 3500 articles of clothing were provided to the homeless EACH MONTH. In 1993, the purchase and renovation of buildings on South 16th Street allowed the San Diego Rescue Mission to open a new Women and Children’s Center.
In 1996 the Mission strengthened its tradition with an even stronger emphasis on long-term care to the homeless, abused, addicted, and poor. In 2000, the Mission opened a new overnight emergency shelter for women and children. In 2001, the men’s center became the second licensed drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in San Diego County.
On a monthly basis, the San Diego Rescue Mission provides:
- 2,500 nights of shelter
- 37,000 hot, nutritious meals
- 82,000 hours of training and rehabilitation
More information can be found at San Diego Rescue Mission.