History

Founded 1905
Building first rented by City Rescue Mission in 1905.
Located on E. Genesee approximately one block east of the river.

The Gospel Wagon

Mission Girls 1907

Robert Allen
One of the first converts of the Saginaw Rescue Mission in 1905.
He testified that whiskey had taken his self-respect and he was unable to support his home.

E.V. Stark
Church member without the peace of God. Social drinking soon went out of control. Met Jesus Nov. 27, 1905 at City Rescue Mission and found victory.

John Roseman
Staggered into the City Rescue Mission Jan. 25, 1906 and found someone who put their arm around him and told him that God loved him.

George W. Trotter
First Superintendent and brother of City Rescue Mission founder, Mel Trotter. Established Mission’s Evangelistic focus in first year of operation.

People needs have remained remarkably unchanged through the centuries of time. When Jesus walked the streets of this earth He encountered the poor, the infirm, and aging widows unable to care for themselves. Today we look at these problems a little differently and discuss homelessness, addictions, healthcare, mental illness, and the problems of frail elders. But, we are really talking about people needs!

Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan (R3M) has more than 100 years of experience in addressing these most basic problems. Back in 1905 a man named Mel Trotter was summoned to Saginaw to help address the problems of men addicted to alcohol, and women living in the brothels of Water St. The problems were almost epidemic in scope because Saginaw was the fallout zone for the diminishing logging industry. Thousands of men had harvested the forests of northern Michigan and developed the practice of coming to Saginaw with their seasonal paychecks. As the logging industry waned, many of these men settled in Saginaw with their thirst for the wildlife, but without their paychecks. This was the most obvious people problem in 1905, and the man who had some acclaim for helping address similar problems in Grand Rapids was Mel Trotter. Mel himself was a recovered alcoholic who had successfully established the City Rescue Mission of Grand Rapids (today known as the Mel Trotter Mission).

Several area Christian leaders brought Mel to Saginaw to help establish the City Rescue Mission of Saginaw. Mel’s brother, George, was our first superintendent and the organization that was established to meet the people needs of 1905 Saginaw has developed to serve the people needs of twenty-first century Mid-Michigan. The work of the Saginaw Rescue Mission has developed to address homeless men, women, and children.

The Saginaw Rescue Mission was drawn into senior care in middle of the twentieth century as older homeless men were determined to have a need for permanent housing solutions. A portion of the Mission house was allocated for frail seniors, and this eventually gave way to the addition of Community Village as part of the Rescue Mission family of services. Today Community Village is a Michigan Home for the Aged, located in the heart of the Great Lakes Bay Region, and is licensed to serve 90 seniors.

The success of meeting people needs through the Saginaw Rescue Mission eventually led to the establishment of the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission (GSRM) in Bay City. Today Good Samaritan is able to provide emergency shelter for men, women, and children.

The addition of GSRM called for a new name that would recognize the expanded service area of this volunteer driven organization. We wanted to appropriately recognize that people from the entire region were coming together to help address the people needs of Mid-Michigan. Hence, you will also see us as Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan.


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About Us History Board Annual Report Mission FAQ What We Do	History Founded 1905 Building first rented by City Rescue Mission in 1905. Located on E. Genesee approximately one block east of the river. The Gospel Wagon Mission Girls 1907 Robert Allen One of the first converts of the Saginaw Rescue Mission in 1905. He testified that whiskey had taken his self-respect and he was unable to support his home. E.V. Stark Church member without the peace of God. Social drinking soon went out of control. Met Jesus Nov. 27, 1905 at City Rescue Mission and found victory. John Roseman Staggered into the City Rescue Mission Jan. 25, 1906 and found someone who put their arm around him and told him that God loved him. George W. Trotter First Superintendent and brother of City Rescue Mission founder, Mel Trotter. Established Mission’s Evangelistic focus in first year of operation. People needs have remained remarkably unchanged through the centuries of time. When Jesus walked the streets of this earth He encountered the poor, the infirm, and aging widows unable to care for themselves. Today we look at these problems a little differently and discuss homelessness, addictions, healthcare, mental illness, and the problems of frail elders. But, we are really talking about people needs! Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan (R3M) has more than 100 years of experience in addressing these most basic problems. Back in 1905 a man named Mel Trotter was summoned to Saginaw to help address the problems of men addicted to alcohol, and women living in the brothels of Water St. The problems were almost epidemic in scope because Saginaw was the fallout zone for the diminishing logging industry. Thousands of men had harvested the forests of northern Michigan and developed the practice of coming to Saginaw with their seasonal paychecks. As the logging industry waned, many of these men settled in Saginaw with their thirst for the wildlife, but without their paychecks. This was the most obvious people problem in 1905, and the man who had some acclaim for helping address similar problems in Grand Rapids was Mel Trotter. Mel himself was a recovered alcoholic who had successfully established the City Rescue Mission of Grand Rapids (today known as the Mel Trotter Mission). Several area Christian leaders brought Mel to Saginaw to help establish the City Rescue Mission of Saginaw. Mel’s brother, George, was our first superintendent and the organization that was established to meet the people needs of 1905 Saginaw has developed to serve the people needs of twenty-first century Mid-Michigan. The work of the Saginaw Rescue Mission has developed to address homeless men, women, and children. The Saginaw Rescue Mission was drawn into senior care in middle of the twentieth century as older homeless men were determined to have a need for permanent housing solutions. A portion of the Mission house was allocated for frail seniors, and this eventually gave way to the addition of Community Village as part of the Rescue Mission family of services. Today Community Village is a Michigan Home for the Aged, located in the heart of the Great Lakes Bay Region, and is licensed to serve 90 seniors. The success of meeting people needs through the Saginaw Rescue Mission eventually led to the establishment of the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission (GSRM) in Bay City. Today Good Samaritan is able to provide emergency shelter for men, women, and children. The addition of GSRM called for a new name that would recognize the expanded service area of this volunteer driven organization. We wanted to appropriately recognize that people from the entire region were coming together to help address the people needs of Mid-Michigan. Hence, you will also see us as Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan.