Our new facility at 2655 Valley Ave.

Opening Late Summer of 2025

Why we are expanding

An estimated 400 people experience homelessness in our region on any given day. As the only shelter operating year-round in the area, our current facility only meets 12 percent of the need. In addition, it lacks the capacity to provide on-site solutions to the mental health needs increasingly presented among the unhoused community.

New life in a historic location

For decades, the iconic building at 2655 Valley Avenue fed our community’s spirits and stomachs, most notably as Duff’s Restaurant and Rickshaw Yam’s Restaurant. Purchased in 2021 by Winchester Rescue Mission, the building will now continue to feed our community as the Beacon of Light Center, providing expanded programs and services to those unhoused in the region - as well as contributing to the revitalization and improvement of the community around Valley Ave.

Check out photos from the construction progress below

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What are we doing with with our current location?

We are in the final stages of planning how we can make the best use of both facilities, guided by these objectives:

  • Honoring our legacy by embracing the future.

    • Winchester Rescue Mission has always been about thinking forward to meet the needs of the community, rather than reacting to needs as they arise or holding on to things that don’t work. Whatever next steps we take, will be in this same spirit.

  • Stewarding our resources to maximize efficiency.

    • As an organization that is entirely funded by donation, we have an obligation to use the resources we have in the most efficient way possible. As we move forward to opening our new facility, maximizing our efficiency is a top priority.

  • Intentionally optimizing the services we provide.

    • Winchester Rescue Mission provides a wide variety of services to the community. As we open our new facility, we are working to make sure that services are provided where we can be the most effective with our resources, and to eliminate any redundancy with other services in the community.