Light of Life Rescue Mission

"Since the pandemic, we're seeing increasing mental health issues. There's not enough beds in our mental health system to treat them properly, so they end up on the streets." said Rev. Jerrel Gilliam, executive director of Light of Life. "The system has failed since we eliminated all of the mental health hospitals. We made a promise then that there was going to be a safety net, and that safety net has not worked." The number of unhoused people in Allegheny County has increased from 631 to 1,026 in the past five years. An estimated 75% of Allegheny County's homeless population is mentally ill, suffering from addiction or both. Thank you, Andy Sheehan and KDKA-TV, for shining a spotlight on needs of Pittsburgh's homeless. Watch the full story using the link below.

Today, Alan is in phase three of our Men's Long-Term Recovery Program. Before he came to Light of Life, he was in rehab, recovering from addiction that stemmed from his mother's passing. He said he went down a bad road and just got tired of being tired. "Light of Life saved my life," Alan said. "You know that saying where God puts you somewhere you're supposed to be? This is where God put me, and I'm so thankful that He did." Alan is determined to maintain his recovery, reconnect with his kids, and travel to see more of the world. Please join us in cheering him on as he continues his journey to life transformation!

Registration for our More Than A Meal Gala closes next Friday, September 13th! Don't miss your chance to be a part of this inspiring evening Join us to celebrate the ways that Light of Life provides a life-saving safe place that brings hope and healing to the men, women and children experiencing homelessness in our city on Friday, October 4th at 5:30 p.m. at The Westin Pittsburgh. Event Highlights: 🌟 Live and silent auction including trips, artwork and experiences 🌟 Music by Jason Washington 🌟Program with powerful testimonies from our alumni Register today: https://ow.ly/16xs50ThpSq

"I was angry when I came to Light of Life," Earnest said. "I was more hurt than anything. But once I got here, I decided to change completely. When we moved into the new building at Ridge Recovery Place, it felt like the old me was gone and the new me was here." After his housing situation fell through, Earnest found himself staying with his nephew in Pittsburgh. He was in a lot of emotional pain that led him to drink. Earnest's nephew told him to go to rehab, and that's when he knew something needed to change. Now, Earnest is in the final stages of our Life Recovery Program and working in our kitchen as an intern. Earnest said through the work he's done in our program, he no longer lets his anger get ahold of him and snaps at people. He's embraced a new way of living and has built positive relationships. Now, when he sees his family, they can see how far he's come and are proud of him. Please join us in cheering on Earnest as he continues his journey to complete life-transformation at our Mission!

Mental illness is a complex and often unseen challenge that 32% of Allegheny County's homeless community face. 🧠💔 Mental illness can make it incredibly difficult to maintain stable housing, secure employment, and access essential services. At Light of Life, we're dedicated to breaking this cycle by offering more than just shelter. We provide mental health support, counseling and a caring community to help individuals address the root causes of their homelessness. Your support helps us continue this critical work, ensuring no one has to face mental illness alone. When we lift each other up, our whole community thrives! #mentalhealth #community #support #LightOfLife #Hope #Healing

This past year, 655 people lost their lives to drug overdoses in Allegheny County. Today, our Executive Director, Jerrel T. Gilliam, had the opportunity to pray over the victims who lost their lives to drug overdoses, the families who lost loved ones and those who currently suffer from the devastating disease of addiction. At Trinity Episcopal Church, photos of those lost to overdoses were displayed, serving as a poignant reminder of the impact on our community. National Overdose Awareness Day is tomorrow. Let us continue to pray and raise awareness for those affected by drug overdose. 🙏 #lightoflife #rescuemission #prayer #addiction #nationaloverdoseawarenessday #pittsburgh

Last week, we had the honor of hosting Pittsburgh's County Council members Bethany Hallam, Robert Palmosina, Dan Gryzbeck, and Bob Macey! We are grateful for their visit with our executive director, Rev. Jerrel Gilliam, to learn more about our Mission and the vital services we provide to those experiencing homelessness in Pittsburgh. A special thank you to JR Reed from Reed Building Supply and Allegheny County Chief of Staff Ken Varhola for making this meeting happen!

Evelyn and Linda are two extraordinary volunteers who dedicate their time to serving at a local high-rise building. Their dedication to our holiday outreach initiatives is invaluable, as they help us serve meals to seniors in need. Thanks to their efforts, we can spread extra joy and hope to North Side's senior community during the holiday season. Today, we enjoyed a meal with them and gave them a tour of our Mission to share more about what we do. Please join us in thanking them for their ongoing collaboration and commitment to making the holiday seasons brighter for those we serve!

Here are a few snapshots from our Prayer Walk for the Homeless this past Saturday! We’re incredibly grateful for everyone who joined us in lifting up the homeless, our city, and Light of Life in prayer. Your presence and prayers make a real difference in our community.

At our Prayer Walk for the Homeless today, we joined together in community and walked around the Pittsburgh praying for: 🙏those in greatest need in our community, 🙏our frontline workers, 🙏our government leaders, 🙏our local churches, 🙏healing in our communities Please join us praying for God to continue to work miracles in our city so that more people would find recovery, hope and the love of Christ! #Prayer #Hope #Healing #Pittsburgh