Savannah, GA – Union Mission is expanding capacity to serve individuals experiencing homelessness by opening a new 8,200 square-foot Emmaus House Resource Center at 127 Fahm Street.
A Ribbon Cutting to celebrate the new facility will be held on Friday, June 12 at 10:00am. This new comprehensive one-stop hub will significantly increase access to essential services, coordinated care, and long-term pathways to housing and stability for our communities most vulnerable neighbors.
Featured speakers include City Manager Jay Melder, Union Mission President & CEO Michael Traynor, Parker’s Kitchen Founder and Executive Chairman Greg Parker, Vice President of SCAD SERVE Scott Linzey, and Union Mission Board Chair and Partner at Oliver Maner LLP, William Hunter.
Earlier this year, Union Mission acquired Emmaus House, a long-standing organization rooted in faith and service, to become a vital part of Union Mission’s expanding family of programs. By centralizing basic-needs services such as meals, laundry access, and hygiene support, Union Mission will magnify their impact with a more efficient and dignified client experience.
The new Resource Center is built with trusted community partnerships. By co-locating services, providers can coordinate in real time, share referrals, and respond quickly as clients need change. Working side by side strengthens the safety net: each partner focuses on what they do best, while individuals experience one connected pathway to help instead of a confusing network of services scattered across the city.
Powered by Partnerships Monday – Friday from 8:30am-4:00pm and Saturday from 8:30am – 2pm:
- Goodwill Industries: Job readiness, computer literacy classes and resume support.
- J.C. Lewis Primary Health Care: Basic medical care in two dedicated exam rooms, five days a week.
- Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless: Housing assessments and placement support.
- Local barber & Salon Professionals: Dignity-focused self-care services.
- American Red Cross: Generator support allowing the facility to serve as a Community Resilience Center during emergencies.
- Savannah Technical College: Will offer workforce training across a variety of programs.
The need for a new space was driven by rising demand at Union Mission’s Day Center and at Emmaus House. At Union Mission over the last two years, daily attendance grew by 167%, increasing from an average of 80 to 133, with a peak of 176 individuals in a single day. At the time, Union Mission accommodated as many individuals as possible in a dining room, with supportive services provided at Grace House as space allowed. This growth strained Union Mission’s facilities and emphasized the need for additional space to provide the services needed. In addition, in 2025, Emmaus House served 468 unduplicated individuals, so the need was even greater when we came together.
“The new Resource Center will expand services to support up to 200 individuals daily,” said Michael Traynor, President & CEO of Union Mission. “We now have the opportunity to bring expanded services together under one roof and deliver solutions that help our clients move toward stability and permanent housing.”
Union Mission extends its deepest gratitude to Greg Parker and the Parker’s Community Fund for its extraordinary
$1 million investment in this project – an enduring demonstration of Parker’s Kitchen’s ongoing commitment to address critical community needs, collaborate with nonprofit partners, and make a transformative impact.
“We’re incredibly honored to support Union Mission’s new Resource Center through the Parker’s Community Fund and to be part of the solution to homelessness in Savannah,” said Parker’s Kitchen Founder and Executive Chairman Greg Parker. “This impressive new state-of-the-art facility will provide strategic, comprehensive services to help people in our community get back on their feet so they can live productive, independent lives.”
Union Mission also extends sincere appreciation to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) for its compassionate and visionary role in helping bring the Resource Center to life. Through a Spring 2025 SCAD SERVE Design for Good course, multidisciplinary SCAD students representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and creative degree programs developed interior and exterior design concepts that helped shape the facility into a welcoming environment rooted in dignity, safety, and belonging. Guided by principles of trauma-informed design, their work emphasized accessibility, comfort, and human connection – creating spaces intended not only to function efficiently, but to foster stability, respect, and hope for every individual who enters. Earlier this year, SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace awarded Union Mission a $372,000 grant through the SCAD SERVE Community Fund to support the project.
“Under President Paula Wallace’s leadership, SCAD has long championed the idea that creativity can be a force for dignity, healing, and positive community impact,” said Scott Linzey, Vice President of SCAD SERVE. “At the heart of SCAD SERVE is a commitment to listening to community needs and creating design solutions that improve lives. The work of these students reflects the compassion, creativity, and sense of responsibility we strive to instill through SCAD SERVE. We are honored to partner with Union Mission in continuing the university’s longstanding legacy of service to Savannah.”
The new Resource Center opens to clients on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, fully equipped for daily service and ready to welcome individuals with respect from day one. You can support this work by volunteering, making a gift, or scheduling a tour to explore partnership opportunities.
ABOUT UNION MISSION: Union Mission has cared for Savannah’s homeless community for more than 85 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. Learn more about Union Mission and the programs and services it provides for our community at www.unionmission.org.
Union Mission: Union Mission has cared for Savannah’s homeless community for more than 85 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. Learn more about Union Mission at www.unionmission.org.