Union Mission, Parker’s Unveil Plans for Parker’s House: A Home for Women, the Only Facility Dedicated Solely to Unaccompanied Homeless Women in Savannah, Ga. and Coastal Georgia
SAVANNAH, Ga. (Nov. 17, 2021) – Union Mission and Parker’s unveiled plans today for the new Parker’s House: A Home for Women, which will be Savannah, Ga. and coastal Georgia’s only facility solely dedicated to providing emergency housing and comprehensive services for unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness. Parker’s House is expected to open in the first quarter of 2022.
Located at 125 Fahm St. in the former JC Lewis Healthcare building in Savannah, the 10,590-square-foot facility will offer emergency housing, on-site case workers, a residential assistant and support services for up to 32 women for 90 days. Parker’s House also includes a common kitchen, living room, dining room, computer room and laundry room.
Parker’s made a $250,000 donation to Union Mission from the Parker’s Community Fund, which is administered by the Savannah Community Foundation, to support Parker’s House.
“Women comprise approximately 28% of the homeless population in Savannah, yet there has never been a housing program that is specifically focused on unaccompanied, homeless women in the Savannah-Chatham County area,” said Union Mission President and CEO Mike Traynor. “Parker’s House marks a major step forward to provide emergency housing and essential services to unaccompanied women in need right here in our own community. We are incredibly grateful to Parker’s for their generous support and for their impressive commitment to Savannah.”
Parker’s House will include 16 bedrooms with shared baths for unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness as well as an adjacent gated courtyard that will be renovated by accomplished local landscape designer John McEllen. Interior renovations include building out the existing space to comply with COVID-19 safety standards and precautions, upgrades to ensure American Disabilities Act compliance as well as improvements to the electrical, plumbing and fire suppression systems.
“The Parker’s House is going to be a major game-changer, providing a safe space for women experiencing homelessness in Savannah,” said Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker. “It’s truly an honor for the Parker’s Community Fund to support Union Mission and to help meet an urgent need to provide emergency housing and services for women in need in our community.”
Savannah-Chatham County has the second highest rate of homelessness in Georgia. According to the Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless 2019 HUD PIT Survey, on any given night, more than 180 women in Chatham County are experiencing homelessness.
Each Parker’s House client will be assigned a case manager for Individualized Case Management, wellness checks, employment support and referrals to primary care and mental health providers. For clients in mental health crisis, the Union Mission Counseling Center will create Individual Service Plans.
In 2020, Union Mission helped transition 667 men, women and children from the streets of Savannah to safe, stable housing, providing 97,130 nights of shelter and more than 78,200 meals to individuals and families in need.
Featured speakers at the unveiling of the new Parker’s House plans included Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, Parker’s Founder and CEO Greg Parker, Union Mission President and CEO Mike Traynor and Union Mission Board Chairman Mike McCarthy.
ABOUT UNION MISSION:
Union Mission has cared for Savannah’s homeless community for more than 80 years, offering emergency, transitional and permanent housing solutions to those in need. Union Mission also provides mental health counseling, food, clothing, transportation and job placements as part of its comprehensive wrap-around supportive services available to all homeless people in the community. The mission of Union Mission is: to partner with people to end their homelessness through housing and supportive services. Learn more: www.unionmission.org.
ABOUT PARKER’S:
Honored as the 2020 Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year, Parker’s is strategically redefining the nation’s convenience store industry, offering customers high-quality products, freshly prepared food and superior customer service at retail stores throughout southeast Georgia and South Carolina. Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s has a commitment to exceeding customer expectations and has repeatedly been recognized as one of the nation’s leading convenience store and foodservice companies. Parker’s Kitchen, the popular food-centric brand under the Parker’s umbrella, serves world-famous hand-breaded Southern Fried Chicken Tenders as well as made-from-scratch mac ‘n’ cheese, a breakfast bar and daily specials. The company’s popular Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 300,000 members, has saved Parker’s customers more than $15 million to date. Learn more: www.parkerskitchen.com.
ABOUT THE PARKER’S COMMUNITY FUND:
In January 2021, Parker’s donated a record $20 million to create the Parker’s Community Fund, which is administered by the Savannah Community Foundation. The Parker’s Community Fund is dedicated to supporting charitable initiatives throughout the company’s corporate footprint in coastal Georgia and South Carolina. A Community Impact Committee makes strategic decisions about how to allocate the funds in order to make the biggest impact. An important part of the company’s ongoing commitment to charitable giving, the Parker’s Community Fund amplifies the impact of the Parker’s Fueling the Community initiative as well as landmark gifts to name the Parker College of Business at Georgia Southern University and the Parker’s Emergency and Trauma Center at Memorial Hospital in Savannah, Ga. Learn more: www.parkerskitchen.com/parkers-community-fund
