SafeHouse Ministries to close day center on Hamilton Road at end of the month

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — A Columbus homeless and day center that has been operating in the community for nearly 15 years will be closing its doors at the end of the month.

SafeHouse Ministries will be closing its facility in the former Rose Hill Methodist Church, its executive director told WRBL News 3 Monday morning. 

SafeHouse Ministries is a nonprofit organization that has served the homeless and poor since 2009. It has been operating a day center in Rose Hill, near Hamilton Road, for the last 13 years by providing meals, computer access, and a clothing closet. 

This will not impact the three residential shelters and substance abuse program operated by SafeHouse Ministries, the nonprofit said. 

Those who use the non-residential Safe House services – which include breakfast and lunch – were told of the closing just before noon on Monday.

Over the last 18 months, SafeHouse founder and Executive Director Neil Richardson says the demographics have changed. Richardson is framing this decision as tough but necessary.

“I think it’s a celebration of accomplishment,” Richardson said. “We started off by serving the homeless in our community and trying to give them the opportunity to more from homelessness into house.”

Richardson said that has been functionally accomplished with those, who want to get off the streets.

“We went from 80% of our clientele at the day center being homeless to 26% being homeless,” he explained. “We’ve gone from about a half, and half of the people that want a change and the people that don’t want to change. We pretty much housed everybody that wants off the streets between our shelters and the ability to house them.” 

Richardson said the emergency shelter services the organization has provided in extreme cold will still be available. Instead of being supplied in Rose Hill, the emergency shelter will be located at other facilities still managed by SafeHouse Ministries.

The center touches about 1,100 people per month, Richardson said. 

SafeHouse Ministries has approximately 40 employees, with many being former clients of the faith-based program. The programs operate on a nearly $2 million annual budget. 

SafeHouse has four other programs Richardson says will not be impacted by this closing.

The programs are: Tomorrow’s Hope, a substance abuse program; Freedom House, a 104-bed men’s shelter; Grace House, a 54-bed facility for women and children; and Trinity House, apartments for homeless families.