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Dr. Joseph V. Trankina Founded the
Grand Forks Mission and Service Center in 1942. (currently the
Northlands Rescue Mission)
Dr. Joseph Trankina spent 25 Years pouring his heart and energy
into the mission as the founding father. Trankina said,
"Jesus founded the Mission. Rescue Mission is the primary
ministry of Christ who came to free the captives and proclaim sight to
 the
blind."
We honor his efforts and the efforts of many other men and women
who have given their lives to feed the poor and tell them
the good news of Jesus Christ.
God used Rev. Trankina who gave the Mission its birth in October
of 1942. Rev. Trankina and his wife, Rae, gave complete devotedness and
sacrificial giving of their lives to the Mission work. It was a
labor of love without limitation of time or sacrifice, with tears and
sleepless nights and a constant life of prayer, always with one great
objective in mind and heart - to serve and minister to the physical and
spiritual needs of all that came their way.
Rev. Trankina was a native of Chicago, Ill., and was left without
parents at an early age. He worked his way up to head timekeeper
and general supervisor of 250 men for the railroad. One day an
accident occurred when four men who had been drinking were operating the
caboose and accidentally killed his wife's niece. This situation
almost caused him to turn totally against God but, there was a man there
who gently and reverently witnessed to him and led him to the Lord.
His life changed dramatically.
He became interested in Christian ministry and studied nights at Moody
Bible Institute and other schools in the Chicago area. He
was ultimately awarded Doctorates in Divinity, Theology and Philosophy
from the Lighthouse Bible College in Rockford, IL.
In February of 1935 Rev.
Trankina took his family to North Dakota. While
in the Cando area, Rev. Joe Trankina and his wife, Rae, did Home
Missionary work on the Indian Reservations and Evangelistic work in
Cando and the surrounding areas.
In 1942, Reverend Trankina
moved his family to Grand Forks,
North Dakota and Founded the Grand Forks Mission and Service Center
under God. But he always said, "The real and original Founder of
Missions is none other than the Lord JesusChrist."
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Much has changed since 1942. Today’s Mission resident is most likely to be a younger man
or woman with the average age approximately 30 years old.
He or she is most likely to live in the Northlands states of
North Dakota and Minnesota and does not generally fall into the
definition of “transient.”
 In
fact, the current geographic make-up of Mission residents is very evenly
distributed among four general categories.
Twenty-five percent are from the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks
area, twenty-five percent come from twenty counties extending as far
east as Bemidji, Minnesota, as far west as Devils Lake, North Dakota,
south to Hillsboro, North Dakota and north to the Canadian border.
Another twenty-five percent come from the remaining areas of
North Dakota and Minnesota. The
final twenty-five percent come from seventeen states throughout the
country.
 Today’s
Mission resident presents more complex emotional, social, personal and
or mental challenges. They
are likely to come from single parent households that include exposure
to abuse and violence, drugs and alcohol and low levels of education and
literacy. Considering these
circumstances it is no surprise seeing Mission residents today who are
seriously depressed and feeling a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Today’s Mission resident faces greater obstacles
and challenges just to survive in the workplace.
Well paying, general labor, carpenter and other construction
opportunities have been replaced by minimum wage fast food and service
industry positions. As
technology expands, education and skill development have become
essential.
 Northlands Rescue Mission has responded to these changes over the years
with new strategies, methods and outcome expectations.
However, one thing has remained constant.
We believe today, just as we did in 1942, that the most important
change anyone can make in his or her life is a heart change that begins
with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
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 Two
major changes occurred in the past few years that greatly impact The
Mission’s outreach to the needy. The first happened as a result of the 1997 flood and the
resulting loss of the church building on our property.
This part of The Mission housed our on-site feeding program and
thrift store.
Although
The Mission’s space has decreased, post flood era services are
significantly greater. Nights
of lodging have increased from 35 a night to approximately 90 a night.
Meals served have increase from 100 per day to 200 per day. The
staff helps residents get jobs, get medical/dental assistance and many
other referral services (ie. birth certificates, drug treatment).
These
programs are in addition to the on going referral network built between
The Mission and other local agencies and organizations.
 The
second major change occurred in November of 2000 when The Mission’s name
was changed to Northlands Rescue Mission.
The new name reflects the geographic area The Mission’s
services impact. It also
reflects a commitment to further impact this area through providing
expanded services to a greater area.
While our ministry home is Grand Forks, North Dakota, the scope
of our services touch lives throughout the Northlands area.
 Our
programs and services are designed to help residents become productive
members of their community. We
recognize the importance of encouraging and educating all who come to
The Mission. We also
recognize that everyone who walks through our doors will not be capable
of moving toward self-sufficiency.
For these people, Northlands Rescue Mission may become home.
Northlands Rescue Mission is
a Member of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (ARGM),
headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.
This association of over 250 missions throughout the US and
Canada represents the 6th largest non-profit in the US. They provide regional and national resources including seminars,
professional speakers and consultants and other educational programs
designed to keep our Mission on the cutting edge of providing services
to the needy.
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