Big improvements are in store for the Good News At Noon Shelter, which has provided housing and food for those who have experienced homelessness in Hall County since 1987. The old, outdated building at 979 Davis Street in Gainesville will soon be left behind for a new and improved shelter at 884 Dorsey Street.
“We started praying about this very specific lot two years ago,” Good News At Noon Shelter Program Coordinator Denise Johnson said. “And now the building's nearly complete. It'll be a 12,000-square-foot building. And most importantly, we'll be able to house double the men that we can now, and also add women. So we will have 40 men’s beds and 20 women’s beds.”
The ability to house women in their facility has been a goal of the Good News At Noon Shelter for several years. Johnson said although women have always been free to use the shelter’s showers and receive food and clothing donations, the shelter has not been able to provide women housing until now.
“Most of the women that we see are in very vulnerable positions and need a place where they can feel safe and sheltered,” Johnson said. “So we're hoping to be able to offer that to them. They can become stable, deal with life issues that have maybe gotten them in the position they're in and [we can] help them get back on track with their life.”
Since space is very limited at the shelter, potential residents must complete an in-person intake interview with shelter staff. Men must have a job in order to stay at the shelter, but Johnson says the shelter’s future women residents will have a little more flexibility.
“The women’s program will be a little bit different in that we don't want them to be working right away, because we want them to be able to get settled, feel safe and become a little bit more stable,” Johnson said. “And then look at some options for work down the road. But again, that will be different for everybody.”
A roof over their heads and food are not the only benefits these selected women will receive. Johnson said there is a program in development that will walk women through the steps to find freedom in their lives.
“Each woman is going to have a different story,” Johnson said. “Some have gotten here because of eviction. Maybe they've been in jail, or maybe they've lived on the streets for a long time. And there will be reasons for those circumstances. So maybe somebody's been abused, somebody's been addicted to a drug, somebody else struggles with alcoholism… The steps are going to be different for each person, but they're going to start with recognizing their brokenness. [This will be] able to help them face those situations and [they will] have people help them walk through what we do now, and that's recognizing that they are created in the image of God. There's a very specific purpose for their life and helping them get back on course.”
In addition to this women’s step program, the new Good News At Noon Shelter hopes to provide at least 30 other activities and classes for residents to develop life skills.
Some classes the shelter may provide are: art, personal hygiene, nutrition, cooking, career training, life skills, GED classes, computer skills and discipleship. However, the Good News At Noon Shelter will need more volunteers to make these classes a reality.
“If somebody has an idea for a class, or [an idea] they think would be useful, we are asking them to call us or check our web page where we have a volunteer tab,” Johnson said. “They can fill that out and give us the information. And we will get back in touch with him.”
Other ways community members can help the shelter and its residents is through donations. The Good News At Noon Shelter is always in need of clothing, from underwear to t-shirts. However, Johnson said comfortable, camping-style clothes are preferred since its residents often walk long distances.
Additionally, household items like bleach, deodorant and sugar are always needed as well. The Good News At Noon Shelter also has an Amazon wishlist for the items residents and volunteers will need at the new facility.
A ribbon cutting and grand opening for the new building on Dorsey Street will be held on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and community members are welcome to attend and take a tour.
With the new facility, the Good News At Noon Shelter will be able to continue its mission of healing and mending broken lives.
“Every single person needs a compassionate and personal attention given to them,” Johnson said. “And they need to be reminded that they're uniquely created. That's when growth is going to begin, and it's going to begin with people who believe in them. So whether it's getting an ID, getting a pair of shoes, or it's getting a job, we want them to be able to do what they can first – so that they can see there is something they can do.”
