BOISE, Idaho — Community leaders, friends, and supporters gathered at the Ada County Courthouse Wednesday night to honor Reverend Bill Roscoe — the retiring president and CEO of the Boise Rescue Mission — with the first-ever Bill Roscoe Ada County Commissioner Humanitarian Award.
The room included the Ada County sheriff and Attorney General Raúl Labrador, a fact Roscoe acknowledged with characteristic humor from the podium.
WATCH | Former Boise Rescue Mission leader honored with first-ever humanitarian award
Roscoe, now CEO emeritus of the Boise Rescue Mission, served as president and CEO for 24 years before retiring earlier this year — part of a 34-year career in rescue mission work. During that time, he helped expand services across the Treasure Valley for men, women, children, and veterans experiencing homelessness.
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The numbers behind that work are significant. On the night before the ceremony, 510 men, women, and children slept in beds at the Rescue Mission. The organization's Veterans Transitional Housing program, which Roscoe started 16 years ago, has helped 750 veterans move back into the community. The Cradle of Hope program currently houses several new mothers and their newborn babies.
Ada County Commissioner Rod Beck said the idea for the award grew from his admiration for the Dan Chadwick Civilian Government Award given by the Association of Counties — created after a longtime director died — and his belief that humanitarian work deserved the same kind of lasting recognition.
Beck said he first reached out to Roscoe after Ada County was criticized for its approach to homelessness and wanted to learn from someone who was succeeding.
"He comes in, he looks at us, and he said, well, I'm here, but I don't know why I'm here because I don't take government money," Beck said.
"We said perfect because we don't have any government money," Beck said.
Beck said Roscoe explained that counseling was the key to helping people off the street — and that the Rescue Mission sent people to Terry Riley for that counseling. When Beck asked what the choke point was, Roscoe said lack of counselors. Ada County responded by hiring counselors for Terry Riley, a partnership that continues today.
Beck noted that under Roscoe's leadership, the Rescue Mission was funded entirely through community support with no government money — and that will continue after Roscoe's retirement.
"I couldn't think of a better way that we could honor Bill and honor the work that's done over the years. This is the Bill Roscoe Humanitarian Award. The very first recipient is Bill Roscoe," Beck said.
"Bill, thank you for your dedication, your leadership, your friendship. Ada County, it is an honor to have this award named after you and have you be the first recipient," Beck said.
Commissioner Ryan Davidson said the award reflects the board's commitment to recognizing outstanding work in the community.
"This humanitarian award is the board's way of emphasizing and appreciating the outstanding work that happens in our community," Davidson said.
Davidson said Roscoe's work addresses some of the most complex challenges of the time — and that people sometimes stumble not because of character flaws but because of circumstances beyond their control.
Davidson said he loves that the Rescue Mission operates without government money — and added a humorous aside, noting that he tried to appoint Roscoe to the Boise City-County Housing Authority when there was an opening, joking that Roscoe is trying to remain government-free while the commissioners keep trying to pull him in.
"I truly believe we need the faith-based community and faith-based private solutions to help us solve the challenging issue of our time," Davidson said.
Davidson closed with a scripture reference: "Thank you, Bill Roscoe. Thank you for living up to the words of Jesus, though that you do to the least of us, you do to me," Davidson said.
Commissioner Tom Dayley said choosing the first recipient of the award was a difficult undertaking — but that when the commissioners looked around, the choice became clear.
"There are certain individuals whose work, dedication, and commitment to others transcend the concept of public service. That's Bill Roscoe," Dayley said.
"He focuses on individuals and not the what you do but the why you do it," Dayley said.
Dayley said Roscoe's legacy will endure through the award itself.
"In the coming years, when this award is given out, which it will be given out, it will be Bill Roscoe that will be remembered," Dayley said.
Dayley closed with a personal tribute: "Thank you for your stewardship of the Boise Rescue Mission. Thank you for your genuine goodness and humanity. Well done," Dayley said.
Master of Ceremonies Kevin Miller compared Roscoe's indelible mark on the community to figures like Michael Jackson, Dan Marino, Ronald Reagan, and John Elway — saying their legacies endure because of the excellence they provided.
Miller said he first saw Roscoe at an event, hauling boxes of Tyson chicken alongside high school kids — not as a recipient of a donation, but working right alongside them.
"Whoever this guy is, I have to meet him. And I have to be a part of whatever he is about," Miller said.
That encounter led to a collaboration called Miller's Mission, which grew into a community effort involving Rob Studebaker and others who raised money, made sandwiches, and raised awareness for the Rescue Mission. Studebaker's dealership was later named dealership of the year for community service, with the Boise Rescue Mission featured prominently.
Miller said one of the most remarkable things about Roscoe was, "No one ever worked for Reverend Bill. They worked with him. They were always part of a team."
Miller said Roscoe answered calls from the sheriff's office in the middle of the night to counsel people in their darkest moments — on top of everything else he was doing.
"You would do your job for the mission, you would go teach, you would hang out with your family, and then in the middle of the night you would get a call from the sheriff's office to go counsel someone in their darkest moments. And you made it all seem so easy," Miller said.
Miller highlighted the Curtis Road Project as one example of Roscoe making the impossible possible — a transitional housing project that went through difficult times but succeeded through faith, teamwork, and Roscoe's leadership.
"Reverend Bill made the impossible possible, the transitional housing for people that were sick all of a sudden he's meeting with people, and they're making it happen," Miller said.
Miller also told the story of a man named Harvey Miller — no relation — who heard Roscoe on the radio and drove out to Payette to meet him. Harvey Miller, a multi-millionaire who had never tithed, donated a house in Donnelly to the Rescue Mission because of what he heard.
Miller said the story illustrated something essential about Roscoe's reach.
"It takes somebody dressed up as a turkey, and they have someone who believes in the cause, and that would be you," Miller said.
Miller said Roscoe's defining quality was that he never left anyone behind — and told the story of Roscoe gathering his team to honor a person who had lost a high-profile job after decades of service, presenting them with a plaque when no one else stepped up.
"She knew that she was never left behind," Miller said.
Miller said Roscoe's ability to connect with people at every level set him apart from anyone else.
"There's never going to be another Bill Roscoe. The Boise Rescue Mission has been around for over 68 years, but Reverend Bill, he could talk to CEOs, he could talk to homeless veterans, and he had this humility, and just like when he served in Vietnam as a combat veteran, Reverend Bill never left anyone behind. So the Ada County commissioners decided we're not leaving you behind, Reverend," Miller said.
Miller said the Rescue Mission's work is far from over.
"The mission never ends. The economy, housing affordability — Bill Roscoe and his team at the Boise Rescue Mission, they'll continue that mission, but they made the impossible possible, and they did it with local donations and the magic continues," Miller said.
Roscoe said the work was never his alone.
"This is the most generous community on the face of the earth, and with that community support, a great team around me, we've accomplished a lot of good," Roscoe said.
In his speech, Roscoe credited his faith as the foundation of everything he has done.
"I accept this great honor, being fully aware that my God, Jesus Christ, is ultimately responsible for it, and he is worthy of it. Any good thing that I have done has been done through His love and His power in my life. I sincerely mean that," Roscoe said. "I stand before you a simple man. But a man with great faith. And I have a heart desire to be useful to God."
Roscoe also paid tribute to his wife, Jean Lockhart, who has served alongside him for 18 years as his partner in ministry, closest advisor, and steadfast friend.
"Jean never had children of her own, but I'm here to testify tonight that she has hundreds of children in this valley. Children who came to City Light and to the Cradle of Hope Program and to the recovery lodge who were blessed, encouraged, inspired, helped, and led into a new life by this thing," Roscoe said.
Roscoe said the scripture that inspired him to pursue rescue mission ministry came from Isaiah chapter 58, which he read about 40 years ago — a passage about loosening the bonds of wickedness, feeding the hungry, and sheltering the poor.
The new humanitarian award will now carry Roscoe's name into the future — a fact that left Roscoe both moved and characteristically lighthearted.
"To have an award like this one with my name on it going on into the future is just somewhat overwhelming, honestly," Roscoe said.
Roscoe also brought some humor to the moment, noting that such honors usually come posthumously.
"Ordinarily you pass away, and then they do an award like this, and now they've done it ahead of time, and I'm a little nervous. I'd better keep walking a straight line because I don't want to mess it up for the next person," Roscoe said.
RELATED | Boise Rescue Mission President, Rev. Bill Roscoe, announces retirement after 24 years of service
As he steps away from the Rescue Mission, Roscoe said his hope is that the community's support for the organization continues long after his retirement.
"I do hope that just because Bill's retired, the people don't go away. I want people to continue to support and pray for and volunteer with the rescue mission so that we can continue to make this great impact in this community," Roscoe said.
Roscoe closed his speech with a message of gratitude.
"I thank all of you who are here in this room to celebrate this occasion with me for all of your love and support over all of my time serving at the mission. God bless you," Roscoe said.
Those who want to support the Boise Rescue Mission can click here.
