When Bob says that his ties to Gospel Rescue Mission go way back, he’s not kidding.

“I’ve known Dale Chastain (son of the founder of Gospel Rescue Mission and our current CEO’s father) and the family for over 40 years now. I knew Roy (our former Executive Director) back when he was in Boy Scouts in the ‘70s. I’ve supported them for quite a while.”

Even back then, Bob noticed something special here that he wanted to help grow.

“They were doing something nobody else was doing. They were taking care of people who were down and out, who didn’t know Jesus, and they turned people around. They turned their lives around which is something I wanted to be a part of. There are other places taking people in for shelter, but they don’t teach them, they don’t introduce them to Christ. And that’s the main thing.”

After so many years of partnership, Bob’s connection here has rubbed off on his family. For 50 years, he led and operated Caylor Construction. When his son Robby took over, Robby put the company to work remodeling the existing structures at the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Center of Opportunity and constructing five new buildings, including the new Welcome Center, and the Courtyard Building that houses our Wellness Center and Library.

Today, Bob spends a good portion of his week volunteering for the ministry he’s loved and supported for decades.“Everybody that comes in, I try to make them feel welcome while I check them in. Serving at the Welcome Center, you gotta be enthusiastic. Today might be a good day for them, or maybe it’s not. You try to be the good part.”

And so he has, week after week since we opened the doors here at the Center of Opportunity. Thank you, Bob, for being such a willing and faithful servant and friend of the Mission for so many years!

“I’ve never been a homeless person but I’ve been a very, very poor person. So I know what that is. It makes serving here very rewarding. If you’re doing it for God, God will reward you. I’ve seen it. I know that’s true.”