TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As temperatures continue climbing in Southern Arizona, Gospel Rescue Mission's "Operation Rescue from the Heat" is providing meals, shelter and resources to people experiencing homelessness in Tucson.
The program started in late May, offering immediate shelter from the heat as well as access to recovery programs, housing assistance and job training opportunities. People are welcome at Gospel Rescue Mission, 4550 S. Palo Verde Road, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bruce Beikman, communications director for Gospel Rescue Mission, describes what guests can expect when they come in.
"They can come and enjoy a nice clean bed. They can get fresh clothes. They can take a shower. They can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Beikman said.
Since expanding outreach efforts for "Operation Rescue" over the past year, Gospel Rescue Mission has held 69 outreach events, served 11,000 meals, distributed 14,000 resources and recorded 9,000 program intakes.
This month alone, the organization has already made a significant impact.
"We've done about 10 outreaches already this month. We've given away probably about 3,000 resources and about 200 bed nights," Beikman said.
Those outreach efforts have extended beyond the mission's walls and into the community.
"We've taken our mobile units, right, our mobile clothing units, our mobile kitchen, or, you know, our mobile cafe and taken them out to the parks, you know, Reid Park and other places, washes, done some joint ventures with the city," Beikman said.
For James Thompson, a guest at Gospel Rescue Mission, the program has been life-saving.
"It was a rescue from the heat. I was waking up every day, slowly dying," Thompson said.
Thompson says he understands firsthand how dangerous Tucson summers can be for people living on the streets.
"This place here gave me hope. It saved my life more than once," Thompson said.
Thompson encourages others in need to take advantage of what the program offers.
"It's a one-stop shop. If you're needing that resource, please use it. I mean, it's here. It's free. It's for us," Thompson said.
As temperatures continue to rise, Gospel Rescue Mission expects demand for services to increase throughout the summer. Community members can support the effort through donations and volunteer opportunities.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
