Grace and Beyond

I was hired in 1987 as the Executive Director of Union Mission. At that time, there was only one program, Potter's Place a 12 bed transitional housing program for male substance abusers. Grace House, the shelter for men, was still under construction and my first office was in Candler Hospital's professional building. The Chairman of the Board at the time was John Carpenter who was also the President & CEO of the hospital which is why I got the office.

Anyway, Grace House had a hard time getting off the ground. Local business legend and philanthropist J. C. Lewis, Jr. is the one who wanted to make it happen. He had approached the Union Mission Board about starting a shelter for the homeless because, as a Christian man, he had a burden for that population. Whenever he drove the streets of Savannah and see them, his heart would break. He had lots of money and decided to fund a state-of-the-art shelter (which is as funny an oxymoron as you will ever hear!).

So they acquired a property, announced the shelter would open, watched a neighborhood association form, and see them hold a press conference proclaiming that they did not want "those kind of people" in their neighborhood. So they purchased another property, held another press conference, watched another neighborhood association spring to life and hold another press conference proclaiming that "those kind of people" were not wanted, so Union Mission moved on. Mr. Lewis acquired five different properties, five neighborhood associations were formed, and Union Mission takes great pride in helping start more neighborhood associations in Savannah than anyone else!

Then the Mayor got involved and appointed a "Blue Ribbon Task Force" to help decide where the city's new shelter should go (even though the city was not putting up any of the money). After four months of intense study it was determined that Grace House should be next to the housing projects. I think the logic was that "those kinds of people" should stay close to "those kinds of people".

So Grace House opened on December 15, 1987 just in time for Christmas. I basically spent the next couple of months there, not as a homeless person, but because there was me and two other people to run everything.

So now, fast forward 21 years and visit http://www.vimeo.com/7601716 to see the latest episode on Union Mission's IMPACT, our television series. It focuses on Grace House and the program that sprang out of it.

I am proud of this show as it illustrates Union Mission's oldest program, still going strong all of these years later. What I like most about it are the interviews with the residents and former homeless people who tell their stories. They remind me of what it was like all those years ago. When we began.