PHILANTHROPY SPOTLIGHT: New Life Mission Founder & CEO Stacia Glavas to Retire June 30

Program Director Amy Lyon to Assume CEO Role

WATCH: Space Coast Daily honored the New Life Mission, formerly Brevard Rescue Mission, with a Central Florida Humanitarian award in 2019.

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – After 15 years of Ministry work in Brevard County, New Life Mission Founder and CEO Stacia Glavas will retire at the end of this month.

Amy Lyon, Program Director at New Life Mission, will succeed Glavas as CEO on July 1.

New Life Mission works to permanently break the generational cycle of homelessness by providing women with children who are experiencing homelessness housing, access to health care, transportation, education, nutrition, job training and life skills education in a safe setting.

Glavas began her career on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide handling international trade policy, agriculture, and women’s issues. She received a B.S. in Organizational Administration from Oklahoma State University in 1985, an M.B.A. from George Washington University in 1988, and a M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2009.

Glavas had never given a thought to starting a shelter for homeless women and children, but God had other plans when He introduced her to Julia, a young mother who experienced an asthma attack in front of Glavas’ home in Rockledge.

When Glavas and her husband Pete took the woman and her young child home, they were appalled at what they saw.

“She was living in horrible, horrible conditions,” said Glavas.

Julia’s predicament touched Glavas, who wanted to help her become self-sufficient so she and her family could live a healthy, happy life. After befriending Julia in 2006, Glavas founded Brevard Rescue Mission, whose name changed to New Life Mission in 2020 to better reflect the ministry’s work.

The faith-based group began with three retrofitted apartments where homeless women and their children can stay while the moms get the life skills, education and job training they need.

With tremendous community support, New Life Mission has grown its program to include four campuses throughout Melbourne and currently holds the capacity for 23 families.

Once the fourth and final campus, New Life Village, opens in fall 2022, the ministry will be on its way to house 100 families at one time.

Success stories abound and “graduates” who before had been living in their cars or on a friend’s sofa and are now physical therapists, medical assistants and employees of large corporations.

By inspiring hope and respecting each person as an individual, New Life Mission encourages the spiritual, emotional, social and vocational growth of the women they serve.

“This was in God’s plan and I feel privileged to be a part of it,” said Glavas.

For more information, log on to NewLife-Mission.org

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