Fairhaven Rescue Mission

Fairhaven Rescue Mission serves the homeless and disadvantaged in Northern Kentucky with meals, shelter and clothing in a Christ-centered environment.

Fairhaven — Who They Are

Who They Are

A Jesus-centered shelter in downtown Covington since 1984

Fairhaven Rescue Mission serves the homeless and disadvantaged in Northern Kentucky with meals, shelter, and clothing in a Christ-centered environment. Every evening, the doors open for a zero-barrier meal — men, women, and children, no questions asked. Men with a valid ID can stay overnight: a shower, laundry, and a bed. An evening chapel service runs nightly, open to anyone who walks in.

For those ready to go further, Fairhaven offers the New Life Program — a nine-month, free, Jesus-centered addiction recovery program for men. No insurance requirements. No waitlist fees. The whole operation, including a thrift store in Latonia whose profits fund the ministry, exists to keep those doors open every single night.

"Changing lives by serving disadvantaged men, women and children in our community; meeting physical and spiritual needs; demonstrating the love and power of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Fairhaven Mission Statement — Est. 1984

Fairhaven — Team & Partnerships

Team & Partnerships

Who we work with

11 Staff members

40+ Regular volunteers

25 Partner churches

Current Partners

Life Learning Center & Enzweiler, Welcome House, Sun Behavioral Health, Brighton Center, Parish Kitchen, Emergency Shelter of NKY.

Relationships We're Building

We're actively pursuing deeper connections with recovery programs, sober living communities, local universities, county jails, and mental health facilities.

Fairhaven — Who They Serve

Who They Serve

Men who have lost everything to poverty and addiction

Fairhaven serves men from Northern Kentucky and the greater Cincinnati metro. Every night, the doors open for anyone — but the path forward looks different for each person who walks in.

About 25% of guests

Men ready for a next step

A quarter of guests are ready for case management — structure, accountability, and a plan. These are the men engaging with the New Life Program and building toward something real.

The door is always open

Anyone who needs a meal

Zero barrier. No ID, no breathalyzer, no intake process. Men, women, and children. The first act of ministry is simply being open — every single night.

The ones we're still waiting for

Those who aren't ready yet

Most guests come for a meal and leave. Addiction is the primary barrier. Fairhaven has one night — sometimes one conversation — to plant something that might take root when the fog clears.

Fairhaven — Quote Band

"When God performs a miracle, it's got a purpose. Testimonies are stories about how the conditions of a person's life have improved — but they're also signs that God is who He says He is."

Chris Rutledge, Executive Director — Fairhaven Rescue Mission

Fairhaven — Gospel & Resistance

Where the Gospel faces the greatest resistance

What we're up against

Trauma and addiction create a fog that makes truth hard to recognize

Most of those we serve are self-medicating deep-seated mental health wounds. Over time, that severs social ties and creates a distorted sense of reality. The opposition isn't one thing — it's a cycle of physical oppression, social abandonment, and spiritual confusion working together.

What we're believing for

We wait for the moment the fog clears — and we've seen it happen

We meet immediate physical needs and proclaim the Truth consistently — night after night — waiting patiently for the moment someone is ready to embrace a new foundation. Transformation is happening. Every testimony is evidence that God is exactly who He says He is.

Fairhaven — How to Pray

How to Pray

1

Pray for breakthrough in the first 24 hours

Most guests are only there for one night. Ask God to move in that window — that the fog would clear and something would take root before they walk back out the door.
2

Pray for the men in the New Life Program

About a quarter of guests are engaging in case management and recovery. Pray for those men — that nine months would produce real, lasting transformation and not just sobriety.
3

Pray for a new building

Fairhaven needs more space — more beds for the men's program, and room to eventually launch a Women's New Life Program. Ask God to provide the facility and the funding for what comes next.
4

Pray for a Women's New Life Program

There is no free, Jesus-centered, long-term addiction recovery program for women in this region. Waitlists elsewhere are long. Pray for the vision, resources, and space to fill that gap.
5

Pray for unified care across the region

When someone is finally ready for help, the right resource needs to be immediately available. Pray for deeper partnerships across agencies, employers, and housing providers — so fewer people fall through the cracks.
6

Pray for more testimonies to surface

Transformation is happening. Pray that God would make those stories visible — and that Fairhaven would tell them well. Every testimony is evidence that God is exactly who He says He is.