For the past four years, while serving the homeless, the Light of Life Rescue Mission itself has been looking for a new home. Its 19th century lodgings in the Central North Side are almost Dickensian.

Craig Schweiger of Franklin Park was asked to lead a committee to scout for a replacement for the three-story building on East North Avenue. In the process, he went from being president of Federated Mortgage Corp., which he co-founded in 2002, to executive director of Light of Life.

The organization's current home is roughly the size of two Victorian row houses, sleeps 38 men, most in the low-ceilinged basement, and accommodates about 275 who need meals each day. About half the staff of 50 works at the mission; a few of their offices are in closets.

Mr. Schweiger started working to find a new location in 2007, and two years into his work, he left his corporate job. In July he became Light of Life's new executive director, succeeding David Bugher, who left after seven years.

"I had a calling to the needs on the North Side," Mr. Schweiger said.

"God laid on his heart a long time ago to help people who struggle within," said Bill Weeks, who co-founded Federated with Mr. Schweiger and now serves as its president. "He has been on fire with this for several years. He is still on our board and holds shares here, but when we started Federated, he said, 'I'm probably only going to be here five years. God is really tugging me.'

"He is walking away from a lot more money than he has the potential to make now, but that's not what drives him."

Mr. Schweiger, 43, is a devout Christian who with his wife Leeanne has six children. A seventh died in 2000 at 14 months due to a heart defect. In the boy's memory, they started the Joshua Foundation with the goal of building a Christian retreat in the region. They are seeking a location for that and raising money.

"A lot of people from Pittsburgh go to work in Haiti," he said. "We are going to build a missionary lodge for people coming out of various churches in Pittsburgh to work in an orphanage in Cap Haitien." Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm and Pittsburgh native Sean Casey, who played briefly for the Pirates, are among those who have gone to the orphanage.

The core mission of Light of Life, which turns 60 next year, is to provide meals to the hungry, beds to the homeless and programs and case management for people who commit to overcoming their addictions. It also runs programs for women and children and serves clients who are making the transition to off-site apartments.

There was very little structure in his own life when Mr. Schweiger was a kid. His divorced mother moved the family all around the North Allegheny School District to seek lower rents, he said. During that time, the North Side left impressions. It was where he visited his grandmother before she died at Allegheny General Hospital. To attend games at Three Rivers Stadium, the family parked on North Avenue and walked.

He remembered the Light of Life building from those days and the X-rated teases of the Garden Theater.

Of Allegheny Commons Park across the street, he said, "the warning then was to never go in the park after dark. A lot has changed. But this neighborhood has needs and they go beyond homelessness," including "kids in broken families, where so much violence and drug [culture] starts.

"We see kids four years out of high school who are homeless," he said. "Our service has always been considered reactive. By being more intentional, we can work toward prevention."

Until it can find larger quarters or expand its current site, Mr. Schweiger said, Light of Life is "forced to be creative." One way has been what he calls "our road trips" to North Side churches and organizations.

This gives the North Avenue property breathing room and gets clients into a world the staff wants them to work toward.

"Part of the goal is to get them involved in the community," said Cindy Shafer, the mission's director of development.

"What is emerging is that this organization is going to be reliant on churches," Mr. Schweiger said. "We're opening ourselves up to partners who do great things, because we know we can't do everything well ourselves."

Working with the Pittsburgh Project and its urban farm in Perry South, the mission created a vegetable garden in its side lot two years ago. Clients tend the garden and the produce is used in the kitchen.

Light of Life arranged with Urban Impact to serve meals to children in its program and has been working with the Allegheny Center Alliance Church on collaborations. It has also discussed a "dual ministry" with the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation, which supports pastors who work in church youth programs, Mr. Schweiger said.

Several years ago, the mission moved its offices to a former thrift store on Western Avenue in Allegheny West. The renovation was designed by a former Light of Life client who is an architect. Five people who had once sought the mission's help are now staff members.

The need to relocate is not to build a bigger box, Mr. Schweiger said.

"We want a place that our clients want to be in so that we have more time to spend with them on their progress."

He has visited sites throughout the North Side, meets regularly with representatives from the councils of several North Side neighborhoods and has sought help from the mayor's office.

Light of Life has $1.2 million in reserve and expects to raise another $10 million in a capital campaign, said Beth Healey, director of public relations.

The board would consider expanding on-site if nearby buildings become available, Mr. Schweiger said, adding, "It would be good to use existing buildings."

If it builds new, Light of Life is considering creating a storefront "for a business that could potentially work with our clients," he said. "We want them to have a comfortable place. We believe we can be better."