Frequently Asked Questions

What is "The Mission"?

The Helping Hand Rescue Mission is a wonderful old-fashioned soup kitchen that was founded in 1905. After serving the homeless for 100 years, the youth program was accidentally revived. Young people in North Philadelphia now refer us as “The Mission” and have filled the building with love and broken crayons.

Do families live at the Mission?

No, our young people live in the housing community near the Mission. We also serve the street homeless, those in shelters, and others having a tough time.

Are some of the children in the program homeless?

Yes, but most of our children live in apartments with their moms and siblings. The homeless work of the Helping Hand Rescue Mission is separate, but sometimes our children volunteer to help serve the homeless.

How long have you guys been working at the Mission?

We had a tornado of an idea to start a church back in 2005. We didn't know our ears from our elbows about it, but we met as a 'church plant' on July 25th, 2005. We were able to use the Helping Hand Rescue Mission as visitors, and it was a good home base because of the parking. In April of 2006, we pulled up for our "church plant" meeting, and there were children playing catch in the parking lot. A game of catch turned into whiffle ball and that birthed our youth program. We couldn't have dreamed it, but it seemed as though it was meant to be. We have been working together since.

Who runs the Mission?

Adam Bruckner has recently replaced Pastor Matthew Gallashaw as Director. Pastor Matt is a wonderfully kind, faithful, and generous man. His thumbprints are all around the Mission.

How old does a child have to be to come to the Mission?

Out of diapers. That's the Baby Stevie rule. We learned.

What does a child need to do to join?

We need to have a waiver filled out by a parent. Kids, we know your handwriting. Please don't try that again.

Can anyone volunteer?

We are super duper super safe with our children. So though we do have volunteers, there is a screening process. And we do background checks on all of our volunteers. If a volunteer has lived out of Pennsylvania in the past 10 years, they must have an FBI background check done. If the volunteer has not lived out of the state, we can do a background check onsite. The onsite check takes a day. The FBI one can take a few weeks.