The Emporia Rescue Mission held an open house Thursday to introduce its newly renovated building.
Formerly the Amend Girl Scout Center, the new Rescue Mission building is set to officially open after the final details of the space are completed.
Emporia Rescue Mission Director Lee Alderman says that the building was a great fit from the start.
Major renovation projects were not necessary. With new windows and smoke alarms, a substantial portion of the work was done to stay up-to-date with fire safety regulations.
The old Rescue Mission building at 1119 Merchant was not handicap-accessible. Alderman says that now anyone can come to receive support regardless of physical limitations.
With the new space, Mission can undoubtedly better serve and minister to the needy and the homeless. Once the move-in process is finalized, the Mission can serve up to 20 men, up from 15 at its existing space.
The Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland put the property on the market last fall as part of a decision to focus operations on Camp Double-E at 794 Road 200. The Rescue Mission then raised around $400,000 to buy the building and then worked through the city’s zoning process early this year.
