What makes Rescue Missions different from all of the secular programs that help the homeless?

It is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ as exhibited by lives that are permanently changed by an encounter with the Living God.

OUR MISSION: To provide an environment where the compassion and love of Jesus Christ can empower people to overcome and prevent life's adversities.

OUR GOAL: To provide a “continuum of care” for homeless and needy individuals that begins with shelter, food, and clothing, continues with a personal development program of rehabilitation, vocational training, job placement and education, and provides ongoing living in a recovery-oriented environment through transitional housing.

 

Become a monthly financial partner:

 

$30 a month

$50 a month

$100 a month

 

Call 769-0783 for other amounts.

 

 

Panama City Rescue Mission is a privately funded, nonprofit 501©(3) organization. It receives no city, county, state or federal funding and is not currently an affiliated agency of the United Way (however, United Way contributors can designate their donations to the Mission).  All funding comes from grants, foundations, businesses, churches, and members of the community, plus proceeds from The Bargain Center and other work training/ enterprise programs.

About the Mission

About Homelessness in Bay County

History of the Panama City Rescue Mission

Since 1972 the Panama City Rescue Mission has provided thousands of nights of shelter, more than 1 million meals and the basic needs of everyday life. The Mission is best known for its immediate needs program. However, recovery is where the most positive, permanent impact on the lives of homeless people and the community is seen.

 

  • The Mission officially opened its doors in April 1972 in the Bay Hotel Building, which was 100 years old and located at 27 East Beach Drive (where the First Federal Bank parking lot is located now). Food, housing and chapel services were provided.

  • In 1975 Rev. Joe O’Daniel from Montgomery, Ala, arrived to serve as the Executive Director.

  • O’Daniel offered a 3-day emergency shelter or 90-day recovery program. The need for additional space and housing for an increasing homeless population during the 1980’s led to the building of the current location at 609 Allen Avenue in 1985.

  • 1984 Seymore’s Electric at 501 East 6th Street was purchased from Holden Harders, who provided a loan for the building. Eventually Harders forgave the loan so all contributions could be used for ministry.

  • In 2001, the Board hired Thurman Chambers, who had served Missions in Atlanta, Ga, and Jacksonville, Fl, to serve as Executive Director after Mr. O'Daniel passed away. 

  • Chambers organized the first long-term Christian recovery program, “Power to Choose,” and opened longer-term transitional beds, introducing a mix of specialized services to assist individual needs.

  • The Mission opened the Thrift Depot in the 515 East 6th Street location as an emergency clothing center and The Bargain Center as its first retail thrift store at 401 East 6th Street to assist in generating self-sustaining revenues for the programs.

  • In May 2004, Chambers and the Board of Directors purchased a 6-acre property on Transmitter Road that would become Bethel Village, a home for women and children.

  • Rev. Billy Fox was chosen in 2005 to serve as Executive Director.  After a few months in office, the tragic Hurricane Katrina affected our neighbors to the west in Louisiana and Mississippi.  Fox led the effort to provide material relief in the form of food and household goods by opening the temporary "Katrina Free Store" and catering to evacuees in Bay County. 

  • That summer, the Mission began an outreach program for homeless and needy children, providing school uniforms and school supplies.  In its first two years, Klothes for Kids served more than 1,500 kids. 

  • In September 2005, the Mission officially opened the doors to the Homeless Day Resource Center in the former Thrift Depot location at 515 E 6th St.  The center represents a community collaboration among Hunger and Homeless Coalition agencies bringing a variety of human services to one central location on the Mission's campus.

  • In the Spring of 2006, renovations to Bethel Village were completed with the help of Stalnaker Construction and other area businesses.  The improvements expanded capacity from 7 to 23 students/children.

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EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT THE PROBLEM

Did you know that . . .

The average age of a homeless person is 9 years?

Families make up the fastest growing segment of the homeless?

There are at least 57,000 homeless people in Florida on any given day?

There are more than 1,000 homeless people in Bay County?

10 times that number are one step away from homelessness? 

The typical homeless family is a single, 20 year old mother with two children under the age of 6?

Over half of all homeless children have never lived in their own home?

There are about 450 homeless children in Bay County Schools?

Contact the Homeless and Hunger Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc.

P.O. Box 549 Panama City, Fl 32402 (850)769-2738

 

Privacy Policy

We are highly sensitive to the privacy interests of consumers and believes that the protection of those interests is one of its most significant responsibilities. In acknowledgment of its obligations, we have adopted the following Privacy Policy applicable to information about consumers that it acquires in the course of its business:

1. Acquisition of Information. We do not acquire any more information about consumers than is required by law or is otherwise necessary to provide a high level of service efficiently and securely. 
2. Our Employees and Privacy. We train all of our employees about the importance of privacy. We give access to information about consumers only to those employees who require it to perform their jobs.
3. Security Measures. We make access to privacy-sensitive information subject to rigorous procedural and technological controls, consistent with legal requirements and the demands of customer service. 
4. Disclosure to Third Parties. We will provide individually-identifiable information about consumers to third parties only if we are compelled to do so by order of a duly-empowered governmental authority, we have the express permission of the consumer, or it is necessary to process transactions and provide our services. 
5. Privacy and Our Business Partners. When we make our technology or services available to business partners, we will not share with them any more consumer information than is necessary, and we will make every reasonable effort to assure, by contract or otherwise, that they use our technology and services in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy.
Questions. If you have questions about this privacy policy, please contact us via email. Thank you.

Refund Policy

If there is a question about your donation account balance, or if need to request a refund of your donation we will be happy to work with you. Please contact the data entry department at 850-769-0783 or dataentry@pcrmission.org.

 

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