FACTS ON HOMELESS
Rev. and Mrs. Charles C. Thomas, Sr. founded Haven of Rest Rescue Mission in 1943 as a Christian, social service organization providing emergency and residential care to the disadvantaged people of the community. Due to the growing needs in the Akron area, the mission expanded in 1979 to include the Marjorie Ruth Thomas Harvest Home, a shelter for women and children in crisis circumstances. In January 1, 1985 the ministry’s corporate name was changed to Haven of Rest Ministries, Inc. It is currently one of the largest private social service organizations in a seven-county area. Its doors are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Through its total person approach, Haven of Rest Ministries provides a feeding program, emergency shelter, housing, resident rehabilitation programs, educational classes (including computer literacy, GED, parenting, AIDS health awareness classes, etc.), career development assistance, After Care program, counseling, advocacy, clothing, and limited dental/medical care for over 600 men, women, and children daily.

Ministry Stats:
In 2007 Haven of Rest provided the following:
• 284,085 meals
• 64,884 nights of lodging
• 188,643 pounds of clothing

Holiday Meals:
• 751 meals were provided on Easter
• 746 meals were provided on Thanksgiving Day
• 791 meals were provided on Christmas Day 

Haven of Rest provides a variety of services to the homeless, the new poor, battered women and children, rape victims, alcoholics, drug addicts, evictees, parolees, runaways, transients, indigents, and those with minimal mental and physical disabilities. Diversified services, offered to these individuals and families without charge, provide hope for a new way of life and self-sufficiency. The mission serves an average of 600 people daily and provides over 220,000 meals and 64,884 nights of lodgings annually.

Haven of Rest has a strong history of collaborative efforts in providing care for the homeless and poor population in order to meet their vast range of needs. Staff members are involved on the following community task forces and committees: City of Akron Continuum of Care, Homeless Agency Network, Emergency Task Force, HIV/AIDS Interdisciplinary Team, Community Welfare Forum, Akron’s Police and Fire Safety Depts, Homeless Coalition & Hunger Task Force, Akron Public Schools’ Project Rise, Children’s Services Board -Child & Family Leadership Exchange, and the Summa Health System Community Health Advisory Committee.  

Haven of Rest is also involved with The National Recovery Initiative comprised of 20 rescue missions from around the country working to implement program standards and outcome measurements.

RESCUE missions provide emergency food and shelter, youth and family services, rehabilitation programs for the addicted, education and job training programs and assistance to the elderly poor and at-risk youth.

Last year, RESCUE missions:
• Served 36 million meals (the approximate population of California)
• Distributed more than 20 million pieces of clothing
• Provided 13 million nights of lodging
• Graduated more than 14,000 homeless men and women into productive living
• Helped more than 13,000 people complete a GED or other educational diploma program
• Provided more than 240,000 medical and dental clinic visits for the poor
• Provided more than 200,000 families with 900,000 pieces of furniture and other homecare items
• Conducted more than 1,200,000 counseling sessions
• Welcomed 410,000 volunteers