Center of Opportunity Celebrates 6 years of Impact
Tucson, AZ – June 30, 2025 — Six years ago (June 2019), the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Center of Opportunity opened its doors with a bold vision: to create a collaborative, holistic approach to the homeless crisis in Tucson—and set a national model for how communities can move people from crisis to stability.
Today, that vision is a reality.
Since its opening, the Center has:
- Welcomed 18,930 guests seeking help
- Served 1,006,776 meals
- Supported 1,960 residents in acquiring brand new jobs
- Helped 2,356 individuals secure permanent housing
- Assisted 542 guests in completing addiction recovery
- Served 1,285 children, including children in the care of single fathers—a rarity in homeless services
Thousands of lives have been changed—and thousands more are still finding hope.
“From the beginning, we believed this campus could become a model for the nation,” said Lisa Chastain, Chief Executive Officer of Gospel Rescue Mission, the Center’s Managing Partner. “In just six years, 17 different states have come to Tucson to see what’s happening here—because they recognize that a treatment-first, whole-person approach actually keeps people out of the cycle of homelessness.”
Built inside the former Holiday Inn Holidome on South Palo Verde Road, the Center was envisioned by philanthropist Humberto Lopez, whose foundation purchased the property and invested millions in its transformation. No longer a conventional shelter, the campus is now a multiservice hub where more than 50 partner organizations work side by side to provide wraparound support under one roof.
Guests can access everything from medical, dental, and mental health care to legal services, government benefits, job readiness programs, housing navigation, addiction recovery, and family support. Few facilities in the country offer this depth of care in one place—and fewer still welcome children and families together.
“Partnering with Gospel Rescue Mission to open the Center of Opportunity has exceeded my wildest dreams. It is truly a marriage made in heaven—bringing together my vision and Lisa Chastain’s passion to create a place where people experiencing homelessness are treated with dignity, respect, and love. What we’ve built together is more than a shelter—it’s a beacon of hope for our community.”— Humberto Lopez
“This was the dream Mr. Lopez brought to us just seven years ago,” Chastain said. “To create a collaborative campus where our homeless neighbors could not only receive what they needed in this moment, but what they needed to come out of homelessness for the rest of their lives—to become whole in mind, body, and spirit.”
Partner Perspectives on Collaboration and Impact
“Being part of the Center of Opportunity enables Homeless ID Project to meet clients where they are—at the critical moment they’re ready to take the first step toward ending their homelessness. Our impact is strengthened by working alongside partners equally committed to restoring dignity and creating lasting change.”
— Megan Loden, Executive Director, Homeless ID Project
“At Catholic Community Services, our Casa de Respiro medical respite center benefits deeply from being located on the Center of Opportunity campus with other mission-driven nonprofits. This proximity fosters collaboration, expands access to vital resources, and allows us to walk more closely with our clients on their journey to healing, stability, and dignity.”
— Elena Dwyre, CEO, Catholic Community Services
“El Rio Health is grateful for our partnership with the Center of Opportunity. We are thankful for the work we are all doing together to serve those who need it the most in our community. We want to congratulate the Center of Opportunity and are excited to join in celebrating the six-year anniversary.”
— Clinton Kuntz, President and CEO, El Rio Health
“When people come to the Tucson Gospel Rescue Mission they often have hit bottom in their lives. GRM provides life restoration and workforce/housing programs to help its guests restore their lives. GRM guests also frequently have open misdemeanor cases in court and fines associated with those cases. The Christian Legal Recovery Program provided by the Christian Legal Society of Tucson gives GRM guests hope and a plan with regard to these cases and fines. The hope is that the Guests will get help resolving the cases and fines, and the plan is how the legal resolution will be done. It is an important part of the whole GRM program.”
— Jim Richardson, Coordinator of Legal Recovery Program, Christian Legal Society of Tucson
As Managing Partner, Gospel Rescue Mission is expanding its vision for the next era of innovation, launching a fleet of Operation Rescue outreach models, including: a mobile kitchen, mobile closet, mobile shower and laundry unit, a transport shuttle, and a downtown intake center.
“Our goal is to meet people where they are. Asking for help can be daunting—it’s easy to lose trust and become fearful,” Chastain stated. “Our mission is to build relationships first and invite people into the support they deserve.”
Later this year, the Center will launch a new social enterprise program, beginning with Opportunity Coffee & Café, which opens in September. This initiative will create employment pathways for guests and generate sustainable funding to fuel services long into the future.
“This is the future,” said Humberto Lopez, Founder of the Center of Opportunity and longtime supporter of Gospel Rescue Mission. “We’ve proven that if you invest in wholeness—a treatment-first approach that sees the person, not just the problem—you can change lives at scale.”
As the Center of Opportunity marks six years of impact, Gospel Rescue Mission invites the community to celebrate this milestone and join in advancing a new era of innovation, collaboration, and hope for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
About Gospel Rescue Mission:
Gospel Rescue Mission is committed to providing shelter, meals, addiction recovery programs, and transformative programs and services to Tucson’s most vulnerable populations. With a heart for transformation, GRM serves guests with love, grace, dignity, and respect, helping individuals move from homeless to wholeness.
About the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Center of Opportunity:
The Center of Opportunity, established by the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation, is a comprehensive service center dedicated to providing holistic care for individuals experiencing homelessness in Tucson. Through partnerships with over 50 organizations and volunteer service groups, the Center offers a wide range of services to help guests regain stability, find employment, and secure permanent housing.
Lisa Chastain and Humberto Lopez are available for interviews.
Press Contact (to coordinate):
Bruce Beikman
(317) 750-6286
Doug Martin
doug@goodnewscommunications.com
(520) 247-8351