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Niagara Gospel Mission Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Women’s Center
NIAGARA FALLS, NY — The Niagara Gospel Mission celebrated a significant milestone Friday morning, October 16, as Mission leadership, community officials, donors, and supporters gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking marking the beginning of construction on its new Women’s Center at 1317 Portage Road.
The event featured remarks from Niagara Gospel Mission Executive Director Rev. John Cooper Jr. and Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino, who spoke about the importance of the project and its anticipated impact on women experiencing homelessness in Niagara Falls and throughout Niagara County.
The new Women’s Center will provide 25 beds dedicated to serving women in need, including a 17-bed emergency shelter and an eight-room, long-term recovery program. The project represents a major expansion of the Mission's Gospel-centered approach to addressing homelessness, addiction, and the underlying challenges that keep individuals trapped in cycles of poverty and instability.
“Today marks more than the beginning of construction. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in how we serve the most vulnerable in our community,” said Rev. John Cooper Jr., Executive Director of the Niagara Gospel Mission. “For years, we have witnessed the need for a place where women can find not only shelter, but hope, stability, and lasting transformation. This center will allow us to extend the same Gospel-centered care that has transformed the lives of men at the Mission to women who desperately need these services.”
The need for additional services is substantial. According to figures used in the Mission's project planning, approximately 109 women each month in Niagara County are unable to access needed shelter services. The new facility will help address this gap by providing a safe environment where women can receive emergency shelter, individualized care, biblical counseling, and opportunities for long-term recovery.
The ceremonial groundbreaking included a special presentation featuring John Cooper, and Mayor Restaino, symbolizing the partnership between Mission leadership, and the broader Niagara Falls community.
The Women's Center is a $6 million initiative to expand the Mission's capacity to serve Niagara County. The project is being funded entirely through private donations, without state or federal funding, reflecting the Mission's longstanding commitment to partnering with individuals, churches, businesses, and foundations to carry out its work.
Construction will transform the former YMCA property into a dedicated space for women, with the emergency shelter scheduled to open in June of 2027 and long-term recovery services to follow.
“We believe that homelessness is about more than the absence of housing,” Cooper added. “It is about broken relationships, addiction, instability, and the need for genuine hope. Our goal is not simply to provide a bed for the night, but to help women rebuild their lives and move toward lasting independence.”
The Niagara Gospel Mission expressed its gratitude to the donors, churches, businesses, community leaders, and construction partners who have helped bring the project to this important milestone.
