FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – Several officials broke ground on the new Rescue Mission also called “City on a Hill” location today around 10:00 a.m. at 404 E. Washington Boulevard.

Some of the ground breaking speakers included Mayor Tom Henry, Rescue Mission CEO, Donovan Coley, Marcia Haaff from the Lutheran Foundation, Jeff Ostermann and Chuck Surack from Sweetwater, Mike Packnett from Parkview Health, Rick James from the James Foundation, Jeremy Ringger from Weigand Construction and Gloria Whitcraft from Catholic Charities.

The new building will feature an outreach center, classroom, dining facility, lounge and more.  The vision for the new facility are to address the needs of the most vulnerable in the community.  They want to provide people in need with a safe facility and immediate access and options to what they need to be self-sufficient and independent.

Rescue Mission CEO and Senior Pastor, Donovan Coley, Sr. says “We want to make this a one stop shop facility where the poor and the needy and the homeless in our community will be able to find refuge and find solace and restoration and ultimately transformation.”

The cost of the facility is $23.1 million.  There is three million dollars that the Rescue Mission is asking for the community and public to support.  They are asking for ambassadors for the Rescue Mission to help spread the message of the facility and the transformation.

Coley announced that to start off the public phase of the capital campaign, The Community Foundation has indicated that they are going to provide $100,000.  This leaves them with $2.9 million left.  They are hoping to find seven to ten more major donors to help with the public phase.