Capital City Rescue Mission marks 75 years in Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Capital City Rescue Mission has been serving Albany since October of 1949. Originally on Madison Avenue, it’s been operating at its South Pearl Street location since 2000, under Executive Director Perry Jones.

"The needs of the community, and the homelessness have grown," Jones said, "and we've adapted by looking for ways in which we could provide places for them to get their needs met, as well as to get out of homelessness, into recovery, and to independence in the community, which is happening.”

Chef Max Ansong is the longtime Director of Food Services at the mission and agrees that people walk through the doors to his dining room more and more these days, even during seasons that had been slower in years past.

"For the past like four or five years, it’s all busy throughout this summer, you know, and come to the winter, it’s the busiest," Ansong said, "but we are always ready.”

The mission is well-known for their holiday meals and celebrations.

“We're home for the holidays, whether it's Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter or 4th of July. We just want to be here, because they are people who, if anybody needs a boost, they do,” Jones said.

Over the years, the mission has expanded to also include a clothing ministry and a free health clinic.