The Kokomo Rescue Mission is expanding its reach and impact through a powerful new initiative: the Engagement Center. Designed to meet the growing needs of north central Indiana’s underprivileged and underserved populations, the center represents a holistic approach to community care—blending practical resources, emotional support and long-term empowerment, all under one roof.
A Mission of Empowerment
Since 1953, the Kokomo Rescue Mission has served the homeless, hungry and hurting. The Engagement Center takes that mission further, creating a collaborative space where those in need can access a wide range of essential services. The facility will include exam rooms, classrooms and meeting areas dedicated to everything from legal aid, job training and medical care to mental health counseling and social services like SNAP enrollment and housing assistance. Most services will be provided by volunteers and community partner organizations.
Most importantly, the center is being built with a relational mindset.
“We want volunteers to come in and sit at round tables with guests—learn their names, hear their stories, cheer them on,” said Kasey Woolslare, a team member at the Mission. “Everything we do is about helping people get a hand up instead of a handout.”
Why It Started—and Why It’s Urgently Needed
The idea for the Engagement Center was born out of necessity.
“We were running out of space. We had up to 22 men on our waiting list, and our dining room was often standing room only,” Woolslare said.
Repeat visitors highlighted a deeper issue: people weren’t just hungry or homeless, they were stuck in cycles of poverty with no clear way out.
The tipping point came when Grace United Methodist Church provided a $2 million endowment from the late Betty Hanley, designated to help the community. With that support, the Mission launched the Engage Campaign—a capital initiative to raise $10 million for the project. As of now, about $4.5 million is still needed to complete the campaign.
Making It Personal
The Engagement Center’s mission is reflected in the story of a young mother who once came to the Mission’s Open Arms shelter for women and children after fleeing domestic violence. She had no diploma, driver’s license, job experience or support system—just a child to care for and a desire to survive.
“If the Engagement Center had existed back then,” Woolslare said, “she could have gotten her license, pursued her diploma, found job support and started rebuilding her life—all in one place.”
The center aims to be that one-stop solution for future clients like her.
Building and Needing Support
The Engagement Center is set to open in phases, with the men’s shelter expansion debuting first and the remainder expected by Easter 2026. The new facility will house more than 100 men, up from the current 65, and will include space for dads with children—a rare and much-needed resource in Indiana.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the center. With only a few full-time staff on-site, the goal is to empower community members to offer their time, expertise and compassion.
“We already have people stepping forward to teach classes, provide therapy and share skills,” Woolslare said. “But we need more. It really does take a village.”
How You Can Help
The Mission invites individuals and organizations to support the Engagement Center in the following ways:
Donate to the ongoing capital campaign to help raise the remaining $4.5 million at kokomorescuemission.org/engage.
Volunteer your time and talents. Whether you’re a counselor, tradesperson or simply someone with a heart to help, your skills are needed.
As construction crews build the Engagement Center, the community is already coming together to build hope, one person at a time. To learn more, visit kokomorescuemission.org.
