Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission says new addition will allow them to serve 20,000 meals a month

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission broke ground Wednesday on a kitchen expansion, primarily utilized to serve meals to homeless Anchorage residents.

Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Executive Director and Pastor John LaMantia said that the upgrades are a much-needed addition to their kitchen and dining area. The $3.8 million project will add over 4,000 square feet of space when it’s completed early next summer, according to LaMantia.

LaMantia said space has been an issue for years. The shelter is capped at 100 guests a night, but serves meals to many more in the community who are forced to eat in shifts in the tiny dining room.

“Out of this small dining and kitchen area we have served from between 7,500-9,000 meals a month,” he said. “There have been months we’ve gone over the 10,000 mark.”

LaMantia said the organization has spent years fundraising for the project, and he thanked the many churches and other organizations that contributed. LaMantia said construction is anticipated to start in the near future.

“We thought it was time to upgrade and afford ourselves the room that we really need to serve all the people that are going to be coming to us,” he added.

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