Raleigh Rescue Mission breaks ground on campus for children, women

Yahoo

22-05-2025

Artist rendering of The Garden. (Courtesy of the Raleigh Rescue Mission)
The Raleigh Rescue Mission on Tuesday broke ground on the construction of a new campus in Knightdale that will expand its capacity to serve women and children by 483%, the organization announced in a news release.
The new campus — The Garden — is being developed in partnership with the Town of Knightdale and the homebuilder Lennar. It's backed by more than $25 million in commitments from private foundations and donors, the Rescue Mission said.
'The Garden will provide a safe and supportive environment for women and children to rebuild their lives and become contributing members of society,' said John Luckett, president and CEO of the Rescue Mission. 'This is an opportunity to offer not just shelter, but stability, resources and the support needed to progress through our New Life Plan and build a new future with confidence and purpose.'
The New Life Plan is a six-step plan that begins with clients living at the Rescue Mission for 4-6 months through phases 1-4. In phase 5, clients move into non subsidized apartments for months 6-12. Phase 6 culminates in homeownership through Habitat For Humanity and similar organizations.
According to the new releases, homelessness in Wake County increases by 8% each year and 70% of people seeking services are experiencing situational homelessness, which means they have been displaced by sudden, life-altering events.
'This is an exciting partnership that reflects Knightdale's commitment to community and compassion,' said Knightdale Mayor Jessica Day. 'The project supports families and meets a growing need in our region.'
The Garden will offer long-term transitional housing for 300 to 400 people. It will also free up space to increase capacity to serve men by 150% at the Rescue Mission's downtown facility, the organization said.
The campus is being built within a new Lennar single-family home community.
'At Lennar, we believe in building with purpose and integrity, and The Garden is a powerful example of these values in action,' said Robert Smart, Lennar Raleigh division president.