Gospel Rescue Mission offers warm beds & hot meals with Operation Rescue from the Cold

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — When winter temperatures drop into the 30s in Tucson, the most vulnerable members of our community face life-threatening conditions. That's when Gospel Rescue Mission steps in with "Operation Rescue from the Cold," opening 150 beds to anyone who needs shelter from the dangerous weather.

The program is designed to protect anyone experiencing homelessness during the coldest nights of the year. For people like Pua Shirshac, these services can be life-changing.

Shirshac knows firsthand how dangerous it is to be on the streets during winter. He and his young son were separated from his wife and family. They found themselves homeless, walking through the streets with all their belongings and his baby in a stroller.

"I used drugs quite heavily, and more heavily than I'd like to admit," Shirshac said. "I was walking down the road with all of our belongings and him in a stroller, and just saying to myself, 'God, what am I doing and how did I let this happen?' I mean, that is probably one of the hardest things for me to ever think of anymore, is having him out there as a baby when he shouldn't have been out there."

Gospel Rescue Mission offered Shirshac, his son, and others a place to stay through Operation Rescue. During the Winter, the program transitions to Operation Rescue from the Cold. It provides more than just a warm bed – it offers hope and a path to recovery.

"I was homeless in the cold and homeless in monsoon times, and I did not know of any kind of programs that would at least just help get out of the cold or get out of the rain," Shirshac said.

When temperatures hover around freezing, the nonprofit opens its doors to provide emergency shelter. The program offers guests a warm bed, clean clothes, showers, and hot meals.

"When the temperatures drop below 38 degrees, the doors are open for people to come in here," Gospel Rescue Mission Communications Director Bruce Beikman said. "We've got coats, beds, whatever a person needs, so they're not out in the elements, and then they can get up the next morning and have breakfast and go on about their day.
Or, hopefully, they choose to look at the programs that we have and opt into one of our programs."

"It's an amazing thing, seeing people come in and how grateful people are to get out of the cold, get a warm bed for the night, get a change of clothes and a shower and a hot meal," Shirshac said.

For Shirshac, the program provided the stability he needed to rebuild his life. He now works for Gospel Rescue Mission as an Outreach Coordinator. He is back together with his wife and his family, and they are expecting their second child this February.

"I would never have been able to stick it out that long if it hadn't been for the resources that Gospel Rescue Mission has," Shirshac said. "I was able to just truly heal from that time and accept that that's not me anymore."

Gospel Rescue Mission's Operation Rescue from the Cold is available to anyone who needs a place to stay during dangerous weather conditions this winter, starting at 6 P.M.

For more information, you can go to Gospel Rescue Mission's website here.