Valley Rescue Mission
By: Hannah Kirkland
6th Period

Hannah Kirkland
6th Period
4th Quarter Bible Paper

The Valley Rescue Mission is an organization that helps out the many homeless people of the Columbus and Phenix City area. They have many programs that can help them and they have bargain centers to make money for their programs and to give jobs to the unemployed. Their purpose is to exalt the name of the Lord through spiritual, educational, and charitable means directed toward those in spiritual and economic need. The Valley Rescue Mission was founded by a group of Christian businessmen in the Chattahoochee Valley. They saw a need in the community to help the many homeless and addicted men on the streets.
With much help and prayer from the people of the community, they were able to create a rescue mission in an old church, along with three shotgun houses. On September 6, 1963, these men fulfilled their visions, and created the Valley Rescue Mission.
In 1963, when they first opened, meals and shelter were available to everyone, men, women, and children. Six years later, Crossroads, an addiction recovery program for men was founded. Each man commits to spend a minimum of 90 days at the Howard Mott Center, and during his stay each man is involved in work therapy. Each man will be placed in certain areas including: retail, kitchen, security, food pantry, building and grounds keeping, laundry, and driving. Each man will also attend chapel, recovery classes, daily devotions, and additional Bible studies, which are given by volunteers and churches during their stay at the Mission. Phase
2 of Crossroads is an intense six­month program designed to help men who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. The men are shown what he can accomplish with the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God. The

Hannah Kirkland
6th Period
4th Quarter Bible Paper

men will be away from the city during this time, spending half of their day in a classroom setting in the other half in work therapy. Phase 3 is an optional recovery program for the men who have completed the previous phases. The resident program goals are: to provide an opportunity for a student to accept and follow Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, to provide an opportunity to study, understand and practice godly principles in everyday life as taught in God’s Word, to provide an understanding of what happens when we violate God’s principles and how to find a place of restoration when we do, to provide an understanding of how to deal with life­controlling problems and how to prevent them according to God’s Word, and to provide an opportunity for the students to develop Christ­like character and the fruit of the Spirit, by attending Bible classes, living with other students who have similar problems, and accomplishing daily work details while exhibiting good work habits and attitudes. And while the men are at Crossroads, they have the opportunity to get their G.E.D. if they do not have their high school diploma.
Women also have opportunities to receive the help they need if struggling with addiction. This recovery program is a Christ­centered, six­phase developmental recovery program designed to help women break their dependence on drugs, alcohol and destructive relationships.
The first phase is the introduction, which is having peace with God.
Their goal for this phase is to remove barriers of denial and spiritual death. Phase 2 is commitment to God and peace with ourselves. The goal for phase 2 is to develop the belief that change is possible and then to

Hannah Kirkland
6th Period
4th Quarter Bible Paper

become willing to change. Phase 3: Reconciliation­ Peace with others.
Their goals is to become reconnected with the human race. Phase 4 is rebuilding, and their goal is to rebuild a meaningful life and establish a responsible, independent, sober and godly