New CITA Operations Director Looks to Expand Ministry’s Reach

MELBOURNE — Nearly 60 years after Christ is the Answer Rescue Mission began serving Brevard’s homeless, new Director of Operations Chris Hughes is looking toward the ministry’s next chapter with plans to expand its facilities, community reach and partnerships with local churches.

Hughes, who stepped into the role about three months ago, said CITA is looking at long-term plans that could significantly expand its capacity, including two additional residential buildings at their Helen’s House woman's shelter and, eventually, a renovation of the men’s campus in downtown Melbourne.

“I know that we’ve been here for almost 60 years,” Hughes said. “And there’s a lot of work to make it to where it can be around for another 60.”

Building for the Next 60 Years

Helen’s House, CITA’s residential program for women and children, currently operates from one building at a confidential location in Brevard. Hughes said the property was designed with future growth in mind, with infrastructure already in place for as many as two additional residential buildings.

At CITA’s men’s campus in downtown Melbourne, Hughes also envisions eventually replacing some of the mission’s aging facilities with a new building that could include an updated kitchen, larger chapel and improved dormitory space. Current dorm rooms house about 18 men each, something Hughes would like to change to provide residents with greater privacy and quiet.

Some buildings on the property date as far back as 1918, when part of the site served as a train station, and many now require substantial renovations.

Those projects remain long-term goals and will require significant community support. But Hughes said he does not necessarily envision CITA’s future being built by one major donor.

“I think a lot of people coming together for the same mission or the same ultimate goal can do it as well,” Hughes said, describing his hope for “a partnership with this community where it’s a lot of people that truly believe in it.”

For Hughes, growing that community around CITA is as important as growing its physical footprint.

From Business to Ministry

Hughes brings more than two decades of business leadership to CITA, with experience in operations, strategic planning, process improvement, technology and organizational growth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management, an MBA and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.

Originally from California, Hughes and his family spent 13 years in Idaho before relocating to Florida in 2022. While in Idaho, he served as a church elder and was part of a team of families sent out by their congregation to help plant a new church.

His first vocational ministry role came after moving to Brevard, when an unexpected opportunity opened at Bethany Christian School. Hughes initially joined the school as a math teacher and later became director of spiritual development, leading weekly chapel services for middle and high school students.

That role ultimately helped lead him to CITA.

Hughes began bringing students to the rescue mission for service projects and later helped CITA with its website. The more time he spent around the ministry, the more interested he became in its work.

“I remember the first time I came here, I went home and told my wife, ‘Wouldn’t it be something if an opportunity opened up over there someday?’” Hughes recalled.

The mission also struck a personal chord. Two of Hughes’ brothers had gone through a similar residential program about 20 years earlier, giving him firsthand familiarity with the kind of transformation such a ministry can offer.

When an opening eventually emerged in CITA’s operations leadership, Hughes reached out.

Changing Perceptions

Since joining CITA, Hughes said working closely with its residents has challenged some of his own previous assumptions about homelessness and addiction.

He expected to encounter many people whose circumstances could simply be traced to poor choices involving drugs. Instead, he found complicated stories involving trauma and other circumstances that are not always visible from the outside.

“You just never know what someone’s gone through,” Hughes said.

CITA’s residential program generally lasts 12 to 14 months, with residents able to remain longer as they work through the program. Participants receive housing and practical support while taking part in Bible studies, chapel services, Christian recovery programming, life-skills training and work-readiness development.

For Hughes, that Christian identity is essential to the mission.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t 100% with the unapologetic Christ aspect of it,” he said.

Expanding CITA’s Reach

Hughes sees his business background as particularly useful in preparing the organization for growth. Along with improving operational efficiency and making greater use of technology, he wants to expand awareness of CITA throughout Brevard.

Despite CITA’s decades in the community, Hughes said its base of committed donors and volunteers remains relatively small compared with the scope of the ministry. The organization operates on a lean budget, with its two thrift stores helping support its programs.

Hughes experienced that lack of awareness himself. Before becoming involved with CITA, he had lived in the area for nearly two years and regularly driven past the mission without realizing what was there, even while attending a church that already had a relationship with the ministry.

Now, he wants to make it easier for Brevard residents to know what CITA does and how they can become involved.

Local churches, in particular, are central to that vision.

“Oh, they’re huge,” Hughes said of CITA’s church partners.

Churches already support the ministry financially, provide volunteers and send groups to prepare and serve meals. Hughes said those meal teams do more than give CITA’s kitchen staff a break; they also give Christians an opportunity to sit with residents, build relationships and pray with them. He hopes to develop relationships with additional congregations that have not previously been involved with CITA.

As CITA looks toward larger facilities and a broader network of supporters, Hughes said the growth ultimately serves the same purpose that has driven the rescue mission for nearly six decades.

“The number one thing we’re doing is pointing people to Christ,” Hughes said. “And the reason we’re doing that is because we believe that Christ changes lives.”

To learn more, donate, volunteer, or become a partner of CITA Rescue Mission visit citarescuemission.org.

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