Fresno Rescue Mission making progress on relocation

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Rescue Mission is one step closer to its permanent move across the street. Portable units were brought in Thursday that will eventually serve as the shelter's future temporary home while the area gets set to make room for High Speed Rail.

"It's been going on for a few years in planning, but we plan to be in these buildings from two to five years," said Don Eskes, Fresno Rescue Mission CEO.

During that time the shelter will design and construct a new multi-million dollar state of the art campus to better serve the community.

The Eskes said all the money to relocate and build will come from the High Speed Rail authority.

"Because there are two things we're very insistent on-- number one, at no time are our services interrupted, and secondly, since we are 100-percent donor funded we do assure our donors that every dollar that's given to us goes to the programs and services that we provide."

These temporary units will serve as the kitchen and dining area before more facilities can be brought in over the next few months.

The Fresno Rescue Mission's permanent home will most likely get built in the middle of what's now G Street after some reconfiguration for High-Speed Rail.

"Our main goal is to see lives change and transformed and that's what we're about, and whether we do it in the existing building or if that's not there we'll do it in these new ones," said Eskes.

Demolition has not been scheduled as of yet, but High-Speed Rail will take over the building by the end of the year.