Rescue mission faces code violations, seeking new location for men’s program

After a routine inspection by the Merced Fire Department, the leaders of the Merced County Rescue Mission are looking for a safer facility for residents and those who rely on the mission’s services.

The fire department visited the mission’s building on Canal Street on Jan. 10. Though the building wasn’t deemed uninhabitable, fire personnel found numerous safety hazards, Chief Michael Wilkinson said.

Exits were blocked with combustible material, some walls had holes, electrical wires were exposed and there were no working smoke alarms, Wilkinson said. Because of fire code, building code and health code violations, the building was deemed a safety risk.

“We’re working with them to try to correct those problems and ensure the exits remain viable,” he said.

Firefighters returned the next day to install smoke detectors in the 100-year-old building, and by that time the issues with the exits were resolved, Wilkinson said.

The rescue mission continues to provide housing for the 24 men in its nine-month residential program, said Executive Director Bruce Metcalf. But the mission also is pursuing an emergency and temporary solution for housing other than the Canal Street building.

“While some of our guest services have been temporarily disrupted, the Merced County Rescue Mission is not shutting down but will continue to address the needs of all those we serve,” Metcalf said in a statement.

The rescue mission’s long-term plan is for its current building to be torn down and to build a new facility on the corner of Childs Avenue and B Street at a vacant lot currently owned by the county. The facility would cost $1.4 million, officials said in a statement.

The rescue mission is working with city and county officials on the plans of the new, permanent location. The main issue is identifying funding, Merced City Manager Steve Carrigan said.

“It’s a real challenge,” Carrigan said. “Homelessness has become one of the top issues in every city in this country.”

Mission leaders first are focusing on finding housing for the 24 men for about two years. Metcalf said the mission hopes to rent large houses that will function as group homes for a couple of years.

“Perhaps God is closing a door on that building and preventing a tragedy from happening,” Metcalf said. “We want to be proactive and move before we have a problem. It creates immediate inconveniences, but that’s a whole lot better than having a tragedy.”

The mission, late last year, struggled to relocate its meal service, which serves about 75 to 120 people a day. Eventually, Calvary Assembly of God agreed to let the mission use the church’s facilities, and the mission trucks food over to the church on 10th and R streets.

In December, the mission teamed up with DayOut Adult ADHC Center in Merced to provide a warming center on chilly nights, a more stable solution to a service that in years past has been provided by different churches and even under large tents.

As the mission is facing one of its biggest challenges yet, Metcalf said it needs the help of the community more than ever.

“We will continue to serve the community in every way we have been,” he said. “We need prayer. We need financial support, ideas and brainstorming for places where we can go. We’re mainly trying to meet the needs of people to reduce homelessness. ... That’s what homeowners want, businesses want, churches want, and what the city and county want.”

Anyone who would like to offer help to the mission can call Metcalf at 209-480-3899.

Donations can be made through the rescue mission’s website or mailed to P.O. Box 3319, Merced 95344.

This story was originally published January 22, 2017 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Rescue mission faces code violations, seeking new location for men’s program."