Yost retires as director of the Great Falls Rescue Mission Women’s Center

GREAT FALLS – The garden next to the Great Falls Rescue Mission Women’s Center in downtown Great Falls has been planted with large seeds over the years, and now one of their pillars calls it a quarry after nearly two decades of planting seeds in the lives of others.

Yost retires as director of the Great Falls Rescue Mission Women’s Center

Onita Yost knows as well as anyone what the rescue mission can do for the community, and she has been a part of it for 19 years. She wasn’t sure what she would do, but she remembers being invited by the Lord in 2002 to come and serve the community.

“I was working in casinos at the time, and he told Onita it was time to stop helping these men build their empire and come and help me build my kingdom. And so, I quit my job without knowing where I was going. I didn’t know what my next assignment would be, but I was confident, ”said Yost.

Yost eventually became director of the Women’s Center and was responsible for starting several programs that are still running today. She was thrown into this position when her predecessor got sick, and she had to do her job for a while and never looked back after that.

Yost is retiring from a career filled with giving to others and caring for those in need. She says being able to sow seeds in people’s lives has blessed her and even trained the woman for her job.

“My life has been greatly enriched by all these people whose lives I touched. They all touched my life too. I wouldn’t change a thing about my stay here, ”said Yost.

The Rescue Mission is grateful for everything Yost did during her time there and everyone agrees it won’t be the same without her.

Executive Director Jim McCormick said he learned a lot from her, especially how to have faith, as he added that she exemplifies what it means to have faith.

“It has been wonderful working with her. We’ve only had a few people who’ve been around as long as you know, and in those days when people seem to come and go, she was one of the pillars. She pretty much developed the women’s program here, the recovery program, the discipleship program, and we watched them grow up and we saw her go through good times and hard times, but it was nice to work with it. We wish him the best for the future, ”said McCormick.

As the Rescue Mission continues to serve, they will always remember Onita Yost’s work and what she means to the community.