GULF SHORES, AL - DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen has always been a great place to eat lunch and dinner. Friday it will be an extra special place to eat as they have partnered with Waterfront Rescue Mission to donate 10 percent of their sales to the Mission.

The event was the brainchild of Jeff Sutherland a chaplain for the mission who lives in Gulf Shores.

"When most people in the area think about Waterfront Rescue Mission, their thoughts run to our great thrift store in Foley. However, we minister to many people along the Gulf Coast from Mobile to Fort Walton Beach, Fla., where I'm based."

One of the ministries of the Mission is to care for the homeless and hungry in the area. "All too often most of us take walking to the pantry or refrigerator several times a day and grabbing whatever we desire to eat," Sutherland said. "Unfortunately, there are many people who don't have that luxury."

Sutherland said there are a variety of circumstances that lead the people the Mission ministers to down the path to seek help from the Mission. "Substance abuse, the loss of a job or just the rising cost of basic living expenses are all common stories heard from people who seek our services," Sutherland said. "These services range from emergency shelters, job placement, job training, substance abuse recovery, counseling and many other services."

Sutherland said Friday's fundraising effort has a personal aspect as well. His wife Jan, who worked for years as a bookkeeper at Kiva Dunes, suffered a stroke last fall and has been unable to eat solid food until recently. "Friday's event is really a twofold event for me. It is to publicly acknowledge God’s goodness in allowing Jan to eat again and to raise funds and awareness of the need to provide for the homeless and hurting who don’t always have enough to eat."

DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen is located at 138 West 1st Ave., one block north of the public beach in Gulf Shores. For more information on the fundraiser, contact Sutherland at 251-223-393 or jsutherland@waterfrontrescuemission.org. To find out more about Waterfront Rescue Mission, go to https://waterfrontmission.org/.