Program: Jim Echement, Rescue Mission

Jim Echement, executive director of the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley, spoke to Boardman Rotary Tuesday about the needs of the Mission, including building a new center to better suit the needs of those it serves.

The Mission regularly houses 130 men, women and children every night, with some nights reaching 190 during extremely cold weather, said Echement. The building, which was built in 1930, no longer has the space it needs to facilitate those numbers.

A capital campaign is currently in place to build a new mission. It has received about $2 million in pledges with another $3.5 million needed to close out the campaign. The new mission would be located on donated land within the city of Youngstown, adjacent to where the South High Fieldhouse was previously located.

The Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley is privately funded. It offers transitional housing, a work force development program and a discipleship academy.

For more information, please visit http://www.rescuemissionmv.org/ .