Celebrating 70 years of miraculous transformations

Gospel Rescue Mission has been a beacon of hope in our community for the past 70 years. 

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reveals a concerning 23.4% surge in homelessness in Arizona, with 13,553 people struggling to find shelter each night. Our homeless neighbors are broken and hurting. Many individuals are held back from achieving their full potential by obstacles such as lack of affordable housing, poverty, mental illness, unemployment, and substance use disorder. The problem of homelessness is complex, which is why Gospel Rescue Mission continues to serve the hungry and hurting, providing permanent solutions to end the crisis of homelessness.

Ray Chastain worked as a Yardmaster for Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1950s and often encountered men riding the rails. They looked hungry and cold, and it broke his heart to see their suffering. Ray’s wife, Alice, began making extra food, and he brought it to those men he encountered, along with clothing and other necessities they might need to survive. 

Ray Chastain then learned of the work being done by the International Union of Gospel Missions—now known as Citygate Network—and their commitment to serve and minister to homeless individuals throughout our nation while proclaiming the message of salvation, affirming Christ as the redeemer who brings healing and restoration to all those who trust in Him. Ray felt called to this work. He was already ministering to those in need within his community but realized that more needed to be done, so he quit a very lucrative job and, with the help of his wife and a few other caring and concerned Christians in Tucson, founded Gospel Rescue Mission in 1953. And our legacy was born. 

With the support of business leaders in the community, Gospel Rescue Mission first opened its doors as a soup kitchen but moved to a more prominent location on Meyer Street in 1954 to include a shelter. The mission expanded again in 1956 when the property on 28th Street was

 purchased. It became clear that God had planned this ministry from the start. He had paved the way and provided the workmen, the financial support, the prayer warriors, and the buildings… all to fill a need and to glorify Him. And between 1956 and 2019, countless individuals were freed from addiction, and approximately 5,000 men gave their lives to Christ in that humble chapel on 28th Street. 

In those early years, we asked the questions, “What is the most immediate need within the community?” and “How can we affect lasting change and help people find hope and freedom from addiction?” 

The face of homelessness changed from our founding in 1953, and by 1992, we saw a desperate need to care for women, which led us to open Bethany House. At the time, Bethany House was one of the few shelters that cared for women and children. And the need only grew, so 17 years later, faithful supporters enabled us to expand to a 100-bed shelter at the former Wayward Winds Lodge on Miracle Mile.

Mr. Ray Chastain dreamed of a place where lives could be restored, but God has provided—and continues to provide—exceedingly abundantly above what we could have asked or imagined. Ray could have never imagined how this ministry would grow.

For decades, the Men’s Center on 28th Street and the Women and Children’s Center on Miracle Mile have supported individuals and their families facing homelessness. By offering a safe and secure healing environment, nutritious meals, and access to stabilizing resources such as classes, addiction recovery services, and chapel, these centers provided hope to thousands of men and women in Tucson. And in 2017, Lisa Chastain (Ray Chastain’s granddaughter) joined Gospel Rescue Mission to serve as the next Executive Director.

In 2019, we moved from our 28th Street location to the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Center of Opportunity, and our model of care shifted to a much more comprehensive model. Through collaboration and partnership with many organizations, we are a premiere solution provider that successfully moves people from homeless to wholeness.