RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) –
With homelessness up 19% across North Carolina in just a year, Raleigh Rescue Mission is responding to the crisis with “The Garden”–a $25 million sanctuary-in-the-making for women and children in need. John Luckett, President of the Raleigh Rescue Mission, says the New Life Plan Program is meant to help people find jobs and get back on track.
John Luckett: President of the Raleigh Rescue Miss | RSS.com
“It’s residential and it’s a training center where we actually are equipping and training people to get a great job, get transportation and a vehicle and also housing. We kind of loop all three of that in there together while they’re living here on site,” said Luckett.
Across the area, around 1600 people are inquiring about the New Life Plan Program on an annual basis.
“Currently where we are downtown we can accommodate 400 people a year because as people come in obviously people are leaving so we rotate that,” said Luckett. “When we get to our new facility in Knightdale for women and children, we’ll be able to accommodate around a thousand people a year.”
Raleigh Rescue mission is wanting to create a space not just for shelter, but for recover, growth and new beginning. The center will have various features for people to look forward to.
“If you were to look at it, it would like a single little facility that we have administrative offices and have individual rooms for the moms and the children, their own bathroom, we have a kitchen and dining hall there on site and we also have the learning center,” said Luckett.
The Garden will transform Raleigh Rescue Mission’s impact—expanding capacity five-fold and laying the foundation for lasting stability. The campus is expecting to grow several times bigger than it is now.
“We are looking at a 500% increase, so we’re going from about 60 women and children we can accommodate now on one night to moving to be able to accommodate 350 women and children per night,” said Luckett.
With construction now underway, The Garden is set to boost Raleigh Rescue Mission’s capacity five times over—offering more than just a place to sleep, but a real shot at long-term stability. The Garden plans to pave the way for brighter futures by mid-2026.