Rescue Mission of Roanoke

What Rescue Mission of Roanoke does

The Rescue Mission of Roanoke is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit organization founded in July 1948 by Gus and Lois Johnson, headquartered at 402 4th Street SE in Roanoke, Virginia. It operates as a comprehensive crisis intervention center serving men, women, and children experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, and addiction in the Roanoke Valley and Southwest Virginia. The organization delivers a fully integrated portfolio of free services, including 24/7/365 emergency shelter, three daily meals (approximately 600 meals per day supported by 70+ corporate food donors), the G. Wayne Fralin Free Clinic (medical, dental, vision, and mental health care), the Manna Food Pantry (weekly 60-pound grocery box distribution), the 12-15 month Way Forward Residential Recovery Program, the Tabitha Job Skills Program, and a clothing voucher program.

The organization runs two 2nd Helpings thrift stores (Williamson Road and Orange Avenue) plus an eBay resale channel as social enterprises to monetize in-kind donations, and operates a Donation Center with free residential pickup services. All services are provided free of charge to guests. Funding is diversified across individual donations, monthly recurring giving, planned giving/legacy bequests, corporate food donations, in-kind donations, vehicle donations (licensed by Virginia DMV), and thrift store revenue. The organization is governed by an Executive Board following a 2017 transition from founding-family leadership (the Johnson dynasty spanning Gus Johnson, Lois Johnson, and Joy Sylvester-Johnson) to professional management under CEO C. Lee Clark.

The operating model is labor-intensive and volunteer-dependent, with 101-250 employees supplemented by individual volunteers, church partners, and court-ordered community service workers. The organization holds a Charity Navigator rating (EIN 54-0573900) and completed a $4 million capital campaign in 2005 to build its Women and Children's Center. There is no disclosed technology product, proprietary platform, or AI/ML capability — the model is fundamentally a human-services delivery operation rather than a technology-enabled business.

Name

Rescue Mission of Roanoke

Legal name

Rescue Mission of Roanoke

Website

https://rescuemission.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Rescue Mission of Roanoke is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1948 that provides free emergency shelter, meals, addiction recovery, healthcare, food assistance, and job training to homeless individuals and struggling families across the Roanoke Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Crisis Intervention Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Community Food Services (624210), Temporary Shelters (624221), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Emergency shelter services
• Homeless services
• Addiction recovery programs
• Community food assistance
• Free medical clinic

Headquarters

HQ city

Roanoke

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting the mission's services. Donors can give via the website, mail, or in-person.
2. Monthly Giving Program: Recurring monthly donations from committed supporters.
3. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts and bequests through the planned giving program.
4. Vehicle Donations: Vehicles donated to the Mission are sold to fund recovery services; licensed by Virginia DMV. Some vehicles used for guest transportation and supply pickup.
5. Thrift Store Revenue: Two 2nd Helpings thrift stores (Williamson Road and Orange Avenue) sell donated goods. Proceeds fund Mission services.
6. In-Kind Donations: Donations of clothing, household items, food, and other goods that support operations or are sold at thrift stores.
7. Corporate Food Donations: Over 70 corporate food donors provide food that enables meal services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Rescue Mission of Roanoke is a comprehensive crisis intervention center that provides free emergency shelter, daily meals, addiction recovery programming, a free medical/dental/vision/mental health clinic, a food pantry, and clothing assistance to homeless individuals, families in crisis, and people struggling with addiction in the Roanoke Valley and Southwest Virginia. All core services are provided at no cost to guests and are funded primarily through donations, thrift store revenue, and corporate/community partnerships.

Product overview

The Rescue Mission of Roanoke is a comprehensive crisis intervention center offering a portfolio of interconnected humanitarian services for men, women, and children experiencing homelessness and addiction. The core offerings include Emergency Shelter (operational 365 days/year), the Meals Program (serving approximately 600 meals daily), the Fralin Free Clinic (providing medical, dental, vision, and mental health care), the Manna Food Pantry (weekly 60-pound grocery box distribution), and the Way Forward Residential Recovery Program (12-15 month addiction recovery). Supporting operations include the Clothing Voucher Program, two 2nd Helpings thrift stores for fundraising, a Donation Center with residential pickup services, the Tabitha Job Skills Program for vocational training, and the Bless My Sole foot care ministry. These services work together to address immediate needs while empowering individuals toward long-term independence and recovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Way Forward Residential Recovery Program: A 12-15 month residential recovery program for men and women seeking to break free from drug and alcohol addiction.
• Manna Food Pantry
• Fralin Free Clinic
• 2nd Helpings

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter 24/7, 365-day emergency shelter for men, women, and families experiencing homelessness, providing a safe place to sleep, meals, and access to clinic services and case management.
• Meals Program Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner served 365 days a year to shelter guests and the community, averaging approximately 600 meals per day.
• Fralin Free Clinic Free medical, dental, vision, and mental health care clinic serving individuals experiencing homelessness and those transitioning to permanent housing in the Roanoke Valley, operated by volunteer healthcare providers under a Medical Director.
• Manna Food Pantry Weekly grocery box distribution program serving struggling families in the Roanoke region; each box contains approximately 60 pounds of food including non-perishable staples, fresh produce, frozen meats, and pet food.
• Way Forward Residential Recovery Program A 12-15 month residential recovery program for men and women seeking freedom from drug and alcohol addiction, combining evidence-based and biblical-based classes, community integration, individualized recovery plans, and peer support specialists.
• Clothing Voucher Program Clothing vouchers offered to shelter guests and individuals or families in the community in need, redeemed through the Donation Center.
• 2nd Helpings Thrift Stores Two thrift store locations on Williamson Road and Orange Avenue selling donated clothing, furniture, household items, books, jewelry, and toys to support Rescue Mission operations.
• Vehicle Donation Program Vehicle donation program licensed by Virginia DMV; donated vehicles are sold to fund recovery program services, with tax documentation provided and some vehicles used for guest transportation and supply pickup.
• Tabitha Job Skills Program Job skills training program launched in 2014 for chronically homeless individuals, providing vocational education and employment preparation.
• Bless My Sole Foot Care Ministry Monthly foot care ministry held on the third Thursday of each month, providing foot washing, nail trimming, wound treatment, and prayer for homeless individuals, delivered by volunteer medical providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600 meals served per day, 365 days a year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Feeding Southwest VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for food sourcing to support Manna Food Pantry weekly grocery box distribution program. Feeding Southwest Virginia provides food supply chain support enabling the Mission to distribute approximately 60 pounds of food per box to struggling families in the Roanoke region.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Wish List registries used for Immediate Needs donations and Welcome Home Basket donations. Donors can purchase items directly from Amazon registries to support Mission operations.
• US Department of Agriculture (USDA)minorOthersManna Food Pantry operates as a USDA food distribution partner with required nondiscrimination compliance. Operates under USDA Nondiscrimination Statement requirements.
• Virginia DMVminorOthersLicensed by Virginia DMV to sell donated vehicles. Ensures legal compliance for vehicle donation program that funds recovery services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Major nonprofit combining donated-goods thrift retail with workforce development and social services; overlaps the thrift-store and job-skills elements of Rescue Mission of Roanoke's operating model.
• The Salvation Army: National faith-based humanitarian organization operating emergency shelters, food programs, addiction recovery, and thrift stores; comparable to Rescue Mission of Roanoke as a broader, national incarnation of the same integrated crisis-intervention model.
• Catholic Charities USA: National faith-based social services network delivering shelter, food, addiction, and family services; operates an umbrella version of many of Rescue Mission of Roanoke's programs across many regions.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Large faith-affiliated nonprofit addressing housing instability through construction, rehabilitation, and family services; comparable as an established nonprofit addressing a root problem of Rescue Mission of Roanoke's shelter guests.

Direct peers

• Portland Rescue Mission: Regional faith-based rescue mission operating shelter, meals, and long-term recovery; directly comparable in offering, scale, and single-region focus.
• Atlanta Mission: Atlanta-area rescue mission delivering emergency shelter, meals, and residential recovery programs under a faith-based model; close functional peer given similar program mix and regional footprint.
• Open Door Mission: Faith-based regional rescue mission providing shelter, food, addiction recovery, and thrift store revenue; directly comparable in programmatic mix and funding model.
• Feeding Southwest Virginia: Regional food bank already partnered with Rescue Mission of Roanoke for the Manna Food Pantry; comparable in food-distribution scope and regional footprint.
• Nashville Rescue Mission: Faith-based rescue mission offering emergency shelter, meals, food pantry, and addiction recovery; directly comparable to Rescue Mission of Roanoke across program lines.
• Union Rescue Mission: Long-running urban rescue mission offering emergency shelter, meals, and long-term recovery programs; the most direct operational analogue to Rescue Mission of Roanoke, including faith-based programming and comprehensive service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCE6Pk-UREBuQd9wRswjkkrA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/RescueMissionOfRoanoke
• Instagraminstagram.com/rescuemissionroanoke
• Xx.com/RescueMission48

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rescue Mission of Roanoke