Union Mission in the News
SCAD donates over 100 gifts to Savannah’s Union Mission
Dec. 12th, 2023
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah College of Art and Design teamed up with a local nonprofit to help some families out Tuesday.
SCAD faculty, staff and even students partnered with Union Mission at Parker’s house to help bring some joy to families in-need ahead of the holidays.
“Everyone has a part to play in making our community a viable, interesting, dynamic community,” Vice President Darrell Naylor-Johnson said.
Savannah College of Art and Design is joining forces with Savannah’s Union Mission for the 29th consecutive year.
The college donated over 100 gifts to the local nonprofit this time around. Kids from families in-need will be able to choose between a wide variety of gifts this holiday season. Among those, some toys, books, bikes and doll houses here will be given to them at Parker’s House Wednesday.
Some SCAD students tell me it’s acts of kindness like these that motivate them to serve this community, and create a positive difference in people’s lives.
“I feel supported. I feel like we’re not just a school. We’re not just here in Savannah. We’re here, you know, to give back to community and make an impact,” SCAD Student Sophia Lee.
This, all a part of SCAD SERVE, the university’s program encourages students and other faculty to become involved with this community. The school’s Vice President hopes the families receiving the presents understand that they deserve to be celebrated as well.
Union Mission celebrates one-year anniversary of The Day Center at Grace House
Union Mission and other community leaders, including Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, celebrated the One-Year Anniversary of The Day Center at Grace House on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 120 Fahm St. The event featured a press conference to highlight the program success and client impact in our community.
“Union Mission has been proud to partner with the City of Savannah and the Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless over the past year,” said Michael Traynor, Union Mission President & CEO. “We have filled a strategic gap in services for the homeless while making an effective and compassionate program to the most vulnerable in our community.”
Union Mission’s Grace House for men has a total of 72 beds including 32 emergency beds, 28 transitional housing units, and 12 beds for previously incarcerated individuals. By expanding services in December 2022 to open the Day Center, it enabled Union Mission to provide homelessness individuals on the streets and squares with basic daytime needs such as food (breakfast, lunch, and a snack), clothing, referrals, access to resources, supportive services, and shelter from weather conditions.
With the ultimate goal of moving people to stable housing, Union Mission provides an environment that offers recreation and relaxation to the homeless searching for stability and safety after carrying the burdens of trauma, substance abuse, and homelessness.
Intending to assist up to 50 individuals daily, Union Mission exceeded this target with a few days over 110 and a recent consistent average of 85 individuals per day. Union Mission’s Day Center at Grace House served 857 unduplicated individuals with 17,930 visits and 35,122 meals served in the first eleven months of operation.
The Day Center at Grace House is open Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., excluding holidays. It has also been open for extended days during extreme cold and hot weather to accommodate those who needed shelter and food.
Union Mission marks World AIDS day with awareness event and free HIV testing
Dec. 1st, 2023
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTGS) — Union Mission is recognizing World AIDS Day to raise awareness today by hosting an event in Forsyth Park.
Shelter officials say they have been housing those in need with HIV for more than 30 years.
The event had several booths to give information, educate, and give free testing for HIV.
E93 FM was also there to help support and raise awareness.
While this is just one day, Union House wants to let people know it’s ok for them to ask for help whenever they’re in need.
“We mainly want the people who suffer with HIV to know that there is somebody here that cares. That cares about their well-being and wants to help them. Uh, there is help here,” said Michael Weatherspoon, Project Manager at Union Mission Phoenix Project Housing.
Union House is continuing to serve the community with many different programs.
Several programs that came out to help them included Coastal Health District 9-1 Department of Health, American Heart Association, and many more.
The Hearst Foundations Awards Union Mission with $100,000 Grant to Support Emergency Housing Programs for Men, Women and Children.
July 31st, 2023
The William Randolph Hearst Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to support Union Mission’s Emergency Housing Programs for men at Grace House, women & children at the Don & Kaye Kole Magdalene House, and unaccompanied women at Parker’s House.
Through the Emergency Housing Programs, Union Mission is able to provide clients with a 90-day housing program that includes individualized case management and access to an array of comprehensive supportive services that work to address clients’ medical, mental health, transportation and employment needs in order to help them permanently end their homelessness. Last year, Union Mission programs achieved the following:
Grace House for Men provides 72 total beds; 32 emergency beds as well as 28 transitional housing units for graduates of the Emergency Housing Program, and 12-beds for previously incarcerated individuals to promote successful transitions to their community. Union Mission served 229 men with 78% of program exits were to stable housing.
Magdalene House supports 20 women and children through 6 emergency housing suites and supportive services to help the fastest growing population of homeless individuals obtain safe, stable housing. Union Mission served 25 women & 101 children with 97% of program exits were to stable housing.
Parkers House, a 32-bed facility is the only Emergency Housing Program along the I-95 corridor from Florida to South Carolina dedicated solely to unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness. In the first 10 months of operation, Union Mission served 185 women, exceeding expectations of serving 100 women annually.
“We are honored and humbled to be supported by The Hearst Foundations,” said Michael Traynor, Union Mission President & CEO. “These funds will help support the continued expansion of our emergency programs that serve the homeless. Union Mission has been actively seeking ways to improve and increase its services in areas where unduplicated need has been identified. The Hearst Foundations will support our efforts as we partner with people to end their homelessness.”