Downtown Savannah to get new resource center for homeless, scheduled to open next spring

Caption

An architectural rendering of the future Union Mission Resource Center in Savannah.

Credit: Felder & Associates

Officials in Savannah announced Wednesday a new resource center for people experiencing homelessness that will significantly expand services in the city's downtown core.

The 8,200-square-foot facility will be operated by Union Mission, a local nonprofit that provides housing and support services to the city's unhoused population, and is scheduled to open in spring 2026 at the former Family Dollar store at 702 W. Oglethorpe Ave.

The building will house an expanded day center capable of serving up to 150 individuals daily, along with medical exam rooms, counseling services, workforce training areas, a kitchen, barbershop, laundromat and mobile showers, among other amenities.

Union Mission president and CEO Mike Traynor said the facility represents an expansion of the organization's existing services, noting its strategic location next to Parker's House — the nonprofit's shelter for homeless women — and across the street from its current Grace House day center.

"This expansion will provide space to increase Union Mission's impact, and help us to better collaborate and engage with the homeless community and with partners across the city," Traynor said at a news conference.

The project is being funded in part by a $1 million donation from Parker's Community Fund, the charitable arm of Savannah-based convenience store chain Parker's Kitchen.

"Homelessness is not a crime, and we never felt this way about it," said Parker's Kitchen founder and executive chairman Greg Parker, adding that when unhoused people must leave homeless shelters during the day, they often have nowhere to go.

"I truly believe that Savannah is America's most beautiful city — and I think that, in being that, we've got to do everything we can to make this a better community," he said, calling the three-building area a "campus" for homeless services.

Parker's Kitchen will also run a "round up" campaign at its stores' points of sale, with the company pledging to match 25% of customer donations.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson framed the initiative as part of the city's broader commitment to addressing inequality and supporting marginalized residents.

"Our commitment to equity is not just an idea; it is an action," Johnson said. "It is partnerships like this. It is creating spaces, resources, and opportunity for every Savannahian — especially those who have been marginalized and left behind."

The new resource center addresses a growing need in Savannah's homeless services network, as Union Mission's current day center has far exceeded its original capacity projections since opening in 2022.

While initially designed to serve 50 clients daily, Grace House now averages 119 people per day and has recorded as many as 167 individuals in a single day, serving 1,551 people with more than 48,000 total visits since opening.

Students from the Savannah College of Art and Design contributed to the new resource center's interior and exterior design through the university's SCAD SERVE "Design for Good" courses.