A faith-based organization in Niagara Falls that seeks to give people in need a step up will now be able to extend its reach. Angela Christoforos explains how the Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission will be able to give back even more to the community.
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- When one door closes, another one opens. The long-standing YMCA closed last spring- but the Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission is now bringing new life to the building.
"The YMCA functioned as the city's largest shelter for decades here and no one really knew it. They approached us and said, 'we're looking to transition out of our building,'" said Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission Executive Director Shaun Smith.
The mission stepped in and is using the space on Portage Road to offer affordable housing to people in need -- 56 rooms at just $300 a month. The building allows the mission to serve a much larger group of people than ever before in Niagara Falls, which the executive director says has a great need for affordable housing.
"When you have a community that's as blighted or struggling as Niagara Falls is, there has to be somebody that comes in at the very bottom end to get the people that are really struggling the most because they are very close to homelessness and or they are homeless," said Smith.
The mission is making renovations to the building, with plans to offer emergency shelter beds, a women and children's shelter and a 100-person dining room. There's also plans to carry on some YMCA traditions by using the gym for an after-school children's basketball program.
"In this household, we're not just warehousing people. We're going to give them a place to live that's safe, clean and offers programming such as 12-step program groups that help them and open Bible studies," said Smith.
Smith says the mission will start a capital campaign to help fund renovations and hopes to have the improvements completed by 2017.
Applications for affordable housing are now being accepted.