Tucson Adult Entertainment: Old motel being reborn as new shelter for needy
On Saturday morning, Aranda was overwhelmed with those memories as she walked around the old Wayward Winds Lodge on Miracle Mile, which is on Tucson’s near north side. She was there as part of a volunteer crew that’s helping the local nonprofit, Christian-based Gospel Rescue Mission convert the old motel into a new shelter for women and children.
The $3 million project will double the capacity of the Gospel Rescue Mission’s current shelter for women and children and will triple its size. When it’s finished, it’s expected to house up to 100 women and children.
And those shelter beds are much-needed, say Gospel Rescue Mission leaders, whose records show they are turning away anywhere from five to 25 women and children each day due to a lack of space.
“It’s really actually in good condition for an old motel. But it needs to be updated and cleaned — thoroughly cleaned,” said Suzanne Williams, director of the Gospel Rescue Mission’s community ministries.
Miracle Mile is a stretch of road that has a long-held reputation for seedy motels frequented by prostitutes and as a haven for crime.