PONTIAC — Grace Centers of Hope broke ground Tuesday on its new facility in Pontiac for homeless women and children, called the William A. Davis Women and Children’s Center.
Renovations on the more than 22,000 square foot building, the former site of Grace Gospel Fellowship church, will be completed by January 2016 and will allow Grace Centers to expand its current capacity by 200 percent, making it one of the largest providers for homeless women and children in the state.
“Today, Grace Centers of Hope has proudly opened a new chapter in its more than 75 year history,” said Grace Centers of Hope CEO Pastor Kent W. Clark. “For years, I have personally struggled with having to turn away thousands of homeless women and children from our doors because we lack the space to care for them. This expansion will allow us to widen our reach, helping more homeless women and children receive the love and support they need for a better tomorrow.”
The center was posthumously named through a memorial gift by the family of William A. Davis in recognition of his longtime support of Grace Centers of Hope, will include three levels that feature: 104 transitional beds in semi-private rooms; restrooms and laundry facilities; a family room and play areas for children; an exercise area for improved well-being and physical fitness; a library and quiet space; a dining room and kitchen with commercial-grade appliances; office space for in-take, counselors and case managers; classroom space for small group therapy and expanded classroom space for the One Year Life-Skills Program, which helps homeless women and families transition to stable housing, sobriety and employment.
The new facility is located in Little Grace Village, 210 N. Perry St., the neighborhood revitalization effort led by Grace Centers of Hope that provides safe and affordable housing to graduates of the One Year Life-Skills Program. Little Grace Village consists of 46 single- and multi-family homes in the downtown Pontiac area. It also includes the Grace Park and Playground, making the new center a convenient and ideal setting for homeless mothers with young children.
