For those experiencing homelessness in Alachua County, GRACE Marketplace became a sanctuary offering safety from Hurricane Milton as the winds and rain began to bear down.
Residents across Florida began to make preparations before the storm made landfall on Florida’s west coast Wednesday night.
Latoya Smith, a 40-year-old from Ocala, began researching shelters for the storm and found positive reviews for GRACE Marketplace, she said.
“They made sure everybody was in the shelter, the ones that didn’t have a permanent bed,” Smith said. “Everybody held up pretty good last night. They made sure everybody was safe.”
GRACE Marketplace, located at 3055 NE 28th Drive, serves as a comprehensive resource for homeless people in Alachua County, offering housing, food, shelter and services designed to end homelessness.
On a typical day, GRACE marketplace serves meals to 100 to 260 people. Prior to COVID-19, this number was over 300, said co-founder Brendan Shortley.
During severe weather events, GRACE extends its services to people who do not have permanent beds at the shelter, providing emergency shelter operations to homeless people. According to its Instagram, during Hurricane Milton GRACE was able to shelter 220 people, an additional 70 to its usual number.
Brendan Shortley said local organizations like Helping Hands Clinic and First United Methodist Church donated food and sleeping essentials, helping to ensure everyone had a more comfortable stay during the storm.
The City of Gainesville also listed GRACE on its website as a designated place of refuge during Hurricane Milton.
Shortley said everyday necessities like transportation and healthcare become crucial for people experiencing homelessness, especially during extreme weather events.
“Little things like this, people just don't think about because we take it for granted,” he said. “But they can't take that for granted.”
Most unhoused people who sought respite at GRACE during the storm learned about the shelter through online resources or word-of-mouth, Shortley said.
“People don't realize it, but the homeless community is very socially connected. In other words, most of them have phones, and if they don't they have a friend nearby that has one,” he said. “There is kind of an internal network inside the community, both online and offline.”
Alachua County partnered with Uber to provide free rides on trips up to $35 to and from shelters, including GRACE Marketplace. The free rides aimed to ensure no resident was left behind due to transportation challenges.
For residents like 70-year-old David Woolsey, recent storms like Hurricane Helene and Milton posed little inconvenience, as the shelter never lost power.
“The winds got real strong… super strong wind,” Woolsey said. “But it didn't affect me all that much. I just had to walk a few times and get wet going over there to the cafeteria.”
Carolton Stevens, a 47-year-old who stayed at GRACE while making his way to Tennessee, said the shelter plays a vital role in supporting the community during challenging times.
“It’s a great place, good people,” Stevens said. “It honestly is for the community.”
Contact Sabrina Castro at scastro@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sabs_wurld.
Sabrina Castro is a rising senior studying journalism at the University of Florida and a Summer 2024 reporter for The Avenue. In her free time you can find her scrolling TikTok or searching for hidden gems at local thrift stores.
