On June 27, the St. Augustine Society welcomed the community to celebrate the completion of the Goff Family Shelter, a project nearly a decade in the making.
Located at 64 Washington St. in the Lincolnville neighborhood of St. Augustine, it provides safe and stable shelter for families with minor children while they work towards finding a permanent home.
Attendees were invited to tour the new space and speak with St. Augustine Society staff about the critical need for family shelter space. The Goff Family Shelter will open to families in mid-July.
“Standing here in this courtyard, just steps away from the Goff Family Shelter, it is easy to admire the building behind us,” said Joy Case, director of development at the St. Augustine Society, Inc., during her remarks at the Goff Family Shelter open house. “But in just a few days, this building will become something much more than walls and windows. It will become a place where parents can exhale after carrying burdens that no family should have to carry alone. It will become a place where children can sleep safely, wake up knowing where they’ll be that night, and focus on being children. It will become a place where families can pause, regroup and take their next steps toward permanent housing and stability.”
During the Goff Family Shelter Community Open House, Case and Judith Dembowski, the executive director of St. Augustine Society, made a special presentation to the City of St. Augustine, recognizing the city’s longstanding support.
Mayor-Elect Cynthia Garris, City Commissioner Jim Springfield, General Services Director Corey Sakryd, Grants Administration Coordinator Jacob Webber and Communications Director Melissa Wissel were in attendance.
The Goff Family Shelter was selected as a subrecipient of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and city staff worked alongside the nonprofit throughout the construction process. The CDBG Program is a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop viable urban communities by providing stable housing and expanding economic opportunities.
According to the HUD 2024 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, families composed of at least one adult and one child experiencing homelessness rose 39% in a single year (2023 to 2024).
The Goff Family Shelter was designed to offer emergency shelter that allows families to remain together. It features nine family rooms, providing a total of 37 beds; nutritious meals and daily necessities; advocacy, referrals and compassionate support services; and connections to community resources that will help families transition into permanent housing.
Sponsors included the City of St. Augustine; the Goff Family; Memorial Lutheran Church of the Martyrs; Memorial Presbyterian Church; Rotary Club District 6970 and the St. Augustine area Rotary Clubs; St. Augustine Lions Club; Kiwanis Club of St. Augustine; The Husain Family; LiveLikeLara Foundation; St. Augustine Elks Lodge 829; Neil Neighborhood House Auxiliary; The Kingsmore Family; Bob Meyers, in honor of Sarah Cottingham Page; Reid Hunt; and anonymous donors.
