The Name Change

A Homeless Shelter comes with a lot of emotions and expectations and has a definition that does not fit what River City’s mission is. Shelters are expected to be temporary, provide meals, counselling, and operate as a crisis care facility. River City has no intention of running a crisis care facility; nor do they want to compete with other homeless shelters in the area. The goal is to provide a place where people will feel loved and accepted. If someone does not have a place to sleep for the night, RCV wants to offer a bed in a place that is safe and conducive to sleep. This is our biblical mandate. 

Why We Provide Sanctuary

Every person in our society deserves to have a place to sleep, a place to wash, a place to eat, and be fully clothed. These are the necessities of life. A person can’t focus on getting a job, looking after their children, or contributing to society if they don’t have their basic needs met. We live in one of the most affluent countries. Helping those in need is distributing the wealth of our nation, which we see as justice instead of mercy. We think it is unjust for one person to be living in abundance while another is dying because their basic needs are not being met. We do believe in capitalism and believe people should be rewarded for their efforts. We also believe that we should all make sure that our fellow human beings have enough resources to have the chance to capitalize on capitalism.

We carry this out by trying to be the hands and feet of Jesus and by having his heart. We aim to work towards fulfilling the great commission (proclaim the good news to the poor) and the great commandment (love your neighbour as yourself).