Recognizing Winchester Rescue Mission

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Winchester Rescue Mission on celebrating 50 years of caring for the homeless in our community.

In July of 1973, Morris Whitaker took out a $20,000 loan and bought a building to convert it into a homeless shelter for men, and the rescue mission was born.

Over a decade later, the rescue mission extensively expanded its operations to help more people in need, adding a commercial kitchen, and increasing the number of beds.

Most recently, the current CEO and executive director, Brandan Thomas, spearheaded the opening of a new four-bed shelter for women in a single-family home and purchased a separate building to add 15 more beds for displaced women.

Brandan now has plans to convert a former restaurant into a homeless shelter later this year on Valley Avenue in Winchester.

This new venture will offer even more services to help local residents without permanent housing address mental health and addiction issues, learn how to properly care for themselves, and find jobs and affordable housing.

Communities all over the country face the, at times, daunting task of caring for large numbers of homeless people, but under Brandan's leadership, and the four others who led prior, the Winchester Rescue Mission has proven that with compassion, commitment, and selfless love to folks who need it most, anything is possible.

Congratulations again to the Winchester Rescue Mission, and I wish them another 50 years of success.

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