Rust Street Ministries

Rust Street Ministries is an organization committed to addressing the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs of its community. Its mission is to provide temporary assistance with basic needs and life skills to individuals living in the San Angelo area who are in need. The organization offers a range of programs and services, including food distribution, clothing donations, furniture, and household items. In 2022, Rust Street Ministries assisted 16,027 people, 5,901 households, and 13,620 family members. They distributed 133,000 pounds of food, 9,314 pounds of food donated by the food bank, 42,158 items of clothing, 3,511 kitchen items, 453 furniture items, 289 appliances, 85 youth beds, and $29,938 worth of purchased food.

Rust Street Ministries also operates a mobile unit called Closet on Wheels (COW), a 30-foot trailer equipped with air conditioning, a bathroom, shower, and clothes racks. The COW is taken to elementary schools, children's fairs, and similar events, where it is used to give away clothes. In 2022, the COW ministry helped 206 people with 696 pounds of food, 36 bus passes, 732 items of clothing, and 167 backpacks. Additionally, the COW has been taken to staging centers for firefighters at large-range fires to provide them with a cool place to rest and shower and to provide clothes for them.

The organization also has a Bicycles program, where they repair donated bicycles and give them away to those in need. Rust Street Ministries assisted 728 new households and donated 57,980 pounds of clothing. They also have a section called Arms of Hope, which assists children and single-mother families in need. The Alcohol Drug Abuse Council of the Concho Valley (ADACCV) has a 6-8 week program where they help people who have been recently released from jail. Rust Street Ministries provided 491 items of clothing for these individuals. The organization also operates a mobile unit called the Bread Trailer, which delivers bread to the Lake View Recreation Center every Wednesday and distributes bread to the public in need without charge. Unfortunately, the Bread Trailer was not active in 2022.