At one time the Vagabond Inn and its famous Tradewinds Restaurant was a popular spot for customers hungry for a juicy steak. Time and the economy forced the restaurant and the motel on Parkway Drive near Clinton to close. However, if dreams become reality ... the Vagabond Inn could be transformed into a sprawling facility for families in crisis. The Fresno Rescue Mission is in the process of acquiring the property for not only children ... but their moms too.
Larry Arce, CEO of the Fresno Rescue Mission said, "We're excited about the possibilities for the future of really being able to make a dent in the need for women and children ... especially children who are abused and abandoned... and women who need to recover and get their lives together."
The Craycroft Center in Downtown Fresno provided temporary care for up to 40 children. Craycroft was a communal setting where the children would live together in a large group. But the group setting didn't fit with the county's new family-oriented strategy. The Vagabond Inn sits on 10 acres. It has 108 private rooms, a banquet hall and a fully stocked commercial kitchen.
Larry Arce said, "Our whole emphasis is that it's a facility where families can get their lives together ... and it's under supervised care 24 hours a day. It'll be a facility where they'll get the mentoring and teaching and learning all the mothering skills that they need ... as far as being a good mother."
Fresno County's social services director says she's behind the project 100 percent. Catherine Huerta said, "If they can put something together that gives these moms support ... halleluiah! It's good stuff ... it really is."
The Fresno Rescue Mission is awaiting word on a conditional use permit from the city's planning commission. If they get it ... by the end of the month ... the Vagabond Inn will be the new home of Rescue the Children.
