LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Three organizations in Lexington come together to offer a wide range of services under one roof.

Millions of dollars were raised when the Lexington Rescue Mission purchased a building on West Second Street, which also funded a move by Isaiah House Renovations and Jubilee Jobs to create a central hub on the site.

“We were able to find this facility, which was a Godsend,” said Lexington Rescue Mission Executive Director Laura Carr.

Spanning well over 52,000 square feet, the facility provides more space for outreach services, and the Lexington Rescue Mission has been seeking new space since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We didn’t have space for a long time, but the pandemic really made that worse and we found that we didn’t have the space to serve the large number of people coming to us,” Carr said.

Lexington Rescue Mission now has space in its dining area to accommodate 120 people at a time. That’s a huge increase from the 35 currently served, with the mission serving breakfast and lunch six days a week and about 60,000 meals a year.

“It gives us room to grow into the future, and it gives us space for people to come into the building and settle in together,” Carr added.

Jubilee Jobs, on the second floor of the Lexington, is led by CEO Mason King.

“Last year, we helped more than 500 people find jobs at more than 200 different employers in Central Kentucky,” King said.

The third floor of Isaiah House includes a community center that provides primary care services, including general exams, physical exams and immunizations. On the other hand, Tanner Blevins, Director of Public Relations for Isaiah House with behavioral health services, explains some of their mission.

“We want to be able to serve everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Come here, let’s make a plan and figure out what resources you need to get the help you need,” Blevins said. .

King points out a startling statistic: Residents of the 40508 zip code live an average of 11 years less than residents of other zip codes in Lexington, according to Vizient Analysis prepared for the University of Kentucky.

“Why? Well, it’s largely due to the lack of access to reliable healthcare, including primary care that will now be provided on-site.”

More financing is needed. Through this project, Lexington Rescue Mission has raised $4.6 million, but another $2.3 million is needed to make this facility fully operational, and the goal is to have this happen by early 2025.