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Oakdale Rescue Mission opens doors to the community
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The spot where several meals are served during the week, the Oakdale Rescue Mission patio includes picnic tables and chairs and can seat more than 40 people per session. Photo By Kristi Mayfield

For more than 15 years, the Oakdale Rescue Mission has provided comfort and food to those in need. Founded in 2008 by Jonyce O’Neill and Pastor Tim Gravatt and known originally as Hope for the Heart, O’Neill and Gravatt worked to provide meals to homeless folks within Oakdale, handing out lunches to those in need in Wood Park. Founded in faith, O’Neill and Gravatt offered sustenance through community outreach and served hundreds within the community during those first few years.

The organization continued to grow through the diligent efforts of O’Neill and her team, with Pamela Kelly joining the organization in 2011. Renamed the Oakdale Rescue Mission, Kelly – who passed away in May of 2024 – was instrumental in helping to establish ORM as a non-profit organization. Throughout the years, ORM continued to foster relationships with various community partners and eventually needed a permanent foundation from which they could facilitate their programs.

In 2018, some of the founding members took a short walk to an open house at 131 West G Street in Oakdale and they knew that they had found the future home of the Oakdale Rescue Mission. Through the generosity of donations and fundraisers, the team was able to purchase the home and start to expand their programs and services even further.

During their recent Open House Event, the weekend of Oct. 3 and 4, the ORM team welcomed guests inside to tour the home along with the grounds to learn more about the various services they provide. From the gentle bluish gray paint on the outside of the expansive home to the welcoming patio which can serve more than 40 people delicious food, hot coffee and cold water, the home is a beacon of strength and comfort for many in the community.

Equipped with a clothing closet that offers everything from soft shoes to warm coats, the ORM provides many things to those that have very little. The ORM is a day use facility complete with laundry facilities, clean showers and even a mailroom to help facilitate communication regarding other resources available to folks that visit the Oakdale Rescue Mission. Through the efforts of the team at the Oakdale Rescue Mission many individuals continue to receive life affirming necessities via programs that enable them to remain independent while also honoring their dignity and humanity.

For more information about the Oakdale Rescue Mission, visit: oakdalerescuemission.org

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A Clothing Closet is set up outside, just off the patio, where folks that receive services from Oakdale Rescue Mission can select needed clothing items free of charge. Photo By Kristi Mayfield