TRADITION:
From mental health issues, homelessness, addiction/recovery and job skills/preparedness, Boise Rescue Mission has continued to support and successfully transition many who have fallen onto a tougher path. And just like its early beginnings, the mission has relied heavily upon the support of many individuals, local businesses, and community members.
“The mission has changed a lot from its inception as we also recognize the needs of women and children. Most missions serve the needs of food, shelter, but also offer life skills programs for men, women, and children. And that is exactly what happened here in Boise.”
Boise Rescue Mission has deep roots in the Treasure Valley. Chances are if you have lived in the area long enough you might be familiar with the iridescent sign, “Boise Rescue Mission: Jesus Saves” from your drive through the downtown corridor. And though the rescue’s physical location has moved, the mission’s main mission has remained resolute: providing a sanctuary for homeless men, women, and children.
Says Executive Director, Reverend Bill Roscoe, “The mission was started in 1958 by a group of Christian business men who witnessed men jumping off the train as it ran through Boise in those days. They were concerned about the welfare of the men as they tended to sleep in parks and any place they could. These business men decided there should be a rescue mission in town that they could go to be safe and to have a meal.”
But it wasn’t just filling their physical needs. The mission also took on a role of sustaining higher and more spiritual sustenance.
Says Rev. Roscoe, “In addition to the meals and shelter, they (the leaders) also wanted to create a chapel service and bible studies along the Christian spiritual nature to encourage and inspire those guys and to make an impact in their lives.”
And it was from this small group of faithful followers, a grand and selfless commitment; each month money was pledged to ensure safe shelter and spiritual guidance for these wayward men, eventually bringing a ‘superintendent’ named Charles Bradshaw from the Portland area, where he and his wife began officially working at the Boise Rescue Mission.
Says Roscoe, “He (Bradshaw) managed the affairs of the mission. The first mission was originally located on Capital Blvd, where the Grove Hotel stands today. And so I like to tell people we had people in bed there long before The Grove!”
For over thirty years, Rev. Roscoe has used his role and experience to not only retained the spirit and purpose of the original mission, but has steered its growth and development to the thriving community that it is today. Not surprisingly, his early vocation as a builder/carpenter served him well.
Says Roscoe, “Back in the 70’s, I was in Santa Rosa California. I was a builder and a new believer, and I found myself helping the director there at the mission, volunteering my work by hanging doors, fixing windows. Time went by and I started serving on the Board of Directors and speaking in the chapel services. In 1991, I joined the staff there as we were launching a ministry to homeless kids on the street and I was hired to be the director of that program. And that was were I got my start in rescue mission work.”
Reverend Roscoe’s mission work included 2 1/2 years at Santa Rosa, followed by a stint in Denver, Colorado and Redding, California. Another four to five years later, he found himself back at Santa Rosa before relocating to Boise, Idaho in 2002 as Executive Director. Recognizing the need, Rev. Roscoe has steadily built the mission to serve the population around the Treasure Valley focusing on the unique challenges, including five locations: three in Nampa and two in Boise.
Stemming from the mission’s original motto of ‘soup, soap, and salvation’, the rescue mission has evolved and branched into serving all Treasure Valley citizens – and their special challenges.
Says Roscoe, “The mission has changed a lot from its inception as we also recognize the needs of women and children. Most missions serve the needs of food, shelter, but also offer life skills programs for men, women, and children. And that is exactly what happened here in Boise.”
Boise’s Rescue Mission sets itself apart from others across the country. One reason?
Says Roscoe, “When my predecessor (Tony Chung) got here in 1996, he started developing very legitimate, very effective substance abuse/recovery programs for men and for women. And from the beginning, our women’s shelter and recovery programs have always permitted to have their children at the program with them. This is not always the case, where a woman in a program can bring her children with her, but we do that. And we have developed further other outreach programs here.”
What other programs has Rev. Roscoe developed? Here’s a hint: involves our youngest and most vulnerable population.
“When I first got into town, I knew we needed to do more for the children who were staying with us, so that they had the service and programs that they needed to recover themselves from homelessness, because the kids suffer greatly. All of our programs are designed to help people recover from homelessness, that is our goal.”
Speaking of children, Rev. Roscoe sees a new and growing trend that effects a widely-underserved part of our community.
“There’s a real problem in our country today with those young people who have been placed in foster care and later ‘aged-out’ of the programs. Once turning eighteen, a lot of times, these young people are just shown the door. There are not a lot of agencies that work with these young people. These are a special group with special needs. We are asking ourselves, ‘what could we do to provide more effective ministry for those young people?’. They often have very limited job skills and work experience. And in a lot of cases they have emotional and psychological issues to also contend with. A lot have had a hard, tough life already, and they carry the scars from that.”
From mental health issues, homelessness, addiction/recovery and job skills/preparedness, Boise Rescue Mission has continued to support and successfully transition many who have fallen onto a tougher path. And just like its early beginnings, the mission has relied heavily upon the support of many individuals, local businesses, and community members. Their staff also includes men and women who have been former members of some of the programs themselves, and who selflessly strive to continue their commitment to stewardship for the mission and its continued success. Success comes from a team and community approach that Rev. Roscoe lauds with high praise.
“We have a wonderful staff and team that are devoted to helping people. And we also have been blessed with the most generous community on the face of the earth. People give like I have never seen before. We do not have one dollar of government money. We are entirely funded from the community and have these programs because the people of the Treasure Valley have been incredibly generous.”
Looking for volunteer opportunities or ways to help serve our local community? Go to BoiseRM.org for more information.