Welcome to Ground Zero Rescue's website. The vision of Pastor Mary Shelnutt, Ground Zero Rescue Missions' founder, is to empower the homeless to live whole again. Our rescue mission serves the homeless through providing crisis and long-term housing accommodations, food, clothing and medical care, counseling services, transition to work programs, and spiritual help. Ground Zero Rescue was founded in 2007, by Pastor Mary Shelnutt, a woman who received her vision and compassion through 25 years of service in street ministry and missions, through her mother's legacy and example, and through her love of God and her desire to be his hands and feet. After an F4 tornado devastated the town of Enterprise in 2007, Pastor Mary saw so many people homeless and without shelter. This tragic incident, coupled with the condition of so many residents who had no place to go, moved her into immediate action.

Ground Zero Rescue Missions' goal is not only to rescue those broken by the circumstances of homelessness but to provide full restoration in an effort to prevent the perpetuation of this horrific cycle. Please browse our website to learn more about us, our services and how you may participate in making an invaluable and lasting contribution to the people we serve.

We thank you for visiting our site and extend an invitation to you to join us in this important mission! There are so many ways you can make a difference.

About Homelessness

Homelessness does not discriminate. The faces of the homeless represent individuals from a broad spectrum as this problem in society expands world wide. When an attentive ear is given to the stories of people living in these conditions, it can be a shocking and overwhelming experience. Diversity in educational and social backgrounds, race and ethnicity, and life experiences is found here at Ground Zero Rescue. The following statistics, reported by National Alliance to End Homelessness 2007 research, reveal the magnitude of this ever-growing problem in the United States.

3.5 million people living in the USA experience homelessness at some point in time each year

40% of the total homeless population in the USA are women

30% of the homeless in the USA are under the age of 18, and 42% of this segment are under the age of 5

33% of the USA's homeless population is comprised of families with children

1 in 5 homeless people have severe or persistent mental illness, oftentimes untreated

USA veterans constitute 40% of this population

9% of the homeless population in the USA exists in rural areas

25% of the homeless nationwide are employed

How does homelessness exist and perpetuate in the United States? The answer to this question is as complex and unique as the individual stories behind the faces of the homeless. In a June 2008 survey, the National Coalition for the Homeless cited two major trends and many additional factors contributing to the rapid increase in homelessness over the past 20 to 25 years. These trends include, but certainly are not limited to the following:

Increase in poverty in the U.S due to eroding work opportunities, eroding value of wages, and eroding employment stability

Increase in the cost of housing in both the home ownership and rental market sectors

Increase in the cost of food, clothing and other basic necessities

Increase in cost of health care, resulting in growth in the number of uninsured

Rising domestic violence issues

Addiction in epidemic proportion

Unaddressed mental illness disorders

It has been widely reported that many United States workers live paycheck to paycheck, and a single unfortunate incident may push an individual or an entire family into these circumstances. We invite you to become a part of the solution by donating now. Please continue to browse our site to learn more about Ground Zero Rescue Missions.