Centralized hub helps people recover

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Three Lexington organizations are working together to provide a wide range of services under one roof.

Millions of dollars were raised when Lexington Rescue Mission acquired a building on West Second Street, and the money also funded the renovation of Isaiah House and the relocation of Jubilee Jobs on-site to form a centralized hub.

“We found this facility, which was a godsend,” said Laura Carr, executive director of Lexington Rescue Mission.

The 550,000-square-foot facility provides more space for emergency services, and Lexington Rescue Mission has been looking for a new space since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had been out of space for a long time, but the pandemic has exacerbated this, and what we found is that we just didn’t have the space to serve the amount of people coming to us,” Carr noted.

Lexington Rescue Mission now has room for 120 people at a time in a dining room. It’s a major upgrade from the current 35, with the Mission serving breakfast and lunch six days a week and about 60,000 meals a year.

“It provides room for us to grow well into the future and room for people to come into the building and live together,” Carr added.

Lexington’s Jubilee Jobs, on the second floor, is led by CEO Mason King.

“Last year, we helped more than 500 people secure employment with more than 200 employers in Central Kentucky,” King said.

On the third floor, Isaiah House has a community center with primary care, including general check-ups, physical examinations and immunizations. With behavioral health on the other side, Isaiah House Public Relations Director Tanner Blevins describes part of their mission.

“We want to be able to serve everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Come here and we will come up with a plan, and we will figure out what resources are needed so you can get the help you need,” Blevins said. .

King points out an astonishing statistic: According to a Vizient Analysis prepared for the University of Kentucky, residents of zip code 40508 live an average of eleven years less than residents of other zip codes in Lexington.

“Why is that? In large part, it is due to a lack of access to reliable health care, including primary care, which is now offered locally.”

More funding is needed. Through this project, Lexington Rescue Mission has raised $4.6 million, but an additional $2.3 million is needed to make this facility fully operational, and the goal is to achieve that in early 2025.