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Garden City Rescue Mission and Life Development Center is planning on expanding its outreach efforts after distributing 1,000 meals in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Hundreds of thousands in Georgia lost power after the storm brought hurricane-force winds and isolated tornadoes to the Augusta area in late September. That impacted number included Garden City Rescue Executive Director Patrick Feistel and his family, who moved into the mission's office and ran the facility at 828 Fenwick St. until their home's power in North Augusta was restored.

"We never lost power at the Mission, because I think we're right next to the sub station," Feistel said. "Everybody else lost power, it seems like, but the Mission, so we never shut down. We kept on truckin'."

Thanks to donations from multiple restaurants, Garden City Rescue staff and volunteers were able to provide about 1,000 meals to displaced people in the first week after the storm hit. Coordinators also supplied sleeping bags, clothing, medicine, shelf-stable milk and totes of instant coffee directly to affected communities in North Carolina.

"We want to thank everyone who has donated to this and we pray it will meet some basic needs and bring the hope of Christ and a little comfort to those in need," the shelter said in a social media post a week ago.

The Garden City Rescue Mission houses men experiencing homelessness and has been providing various resources to address substance abuse, unemployment and other issues since former director Travis Sharpe founded the organization more than two decades ago.

In the two weeks since Hurricane Helene roared through parts of Georgia and North Carolina, the shelter has continued running 24/7, serving an average of 60 people a day and increasing its outreach to people seeking temporary respite at small, local hotels.

"There's a lot of folks that were displaced from different parts of Georgia and North Carolina, coming down here and getting where they could land," Feistel said. "A lot of them had families, and the Lord directed us to them, so we started taking meals out to the motels in the inner city."

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Historically both locally and nationwide, motels are often a last resort for people who cannot afford to live in more expensive apartments or other housing options. Feistel, now the Garden City director for 10 years now, said the need and the disparity has grown in recent years due to ongoing effects of the pandemic and a lack of affordable housing supply.

"There's really not enough housing to go around for everybody to get affordable housing, but a lot of these fellows, if they can save up a little money, they might get in a motel for a little bit," Feistel said. "So that's something else we're going to start getting more involved in, is the motel ministry, reaching out and taking resources to folks in the motels. We're going to try to try to be a little bit more mobile in the city, not just housing folks, but trying to target people that are running to the Lord, not away from Him."

The mission is currently undergoing renovations after the nonprofit officially purchased the property earlier this year through a successful donation campaign. Garden City was repainting the rustic brick exterior of its longtime facility a new white Monday, with hopes of soon building an open-air chapel in the spot where an old soup kitchen once stood adjacent to the shelter.

A major fundraising "Share-a-thon" event was originally planned for Oct. 3, but has been delayed until December due to the hurricane.

"There was just no way, when people were hurting so much, that we were going to ask people for money," Feistel said, "so we're postponing it until sometime before Christmas."

Two months ago Garden City unanimously passed a resolution authorizing a memorandum of understanding with Visit Savannah as a director marketing organization (DMO) to promote the city as a destination for tourists.

DMOs are non-profit organizations that help promote and market local attractions, accommodation options, tourism services, transportation, retail stores, restaurants, events and more. Garden City previously contracted with another DMO, but after more than a year of no communication with the leadership of the Garden City Convention Center and Visitor’s Bureau, the city reached out to Visit Savannah for assistance.

According to CEO Joseph Marinelli, Visit Savannah has contracted Robyn Iannone, the CEO of 3P Workplace Consultants, who is in the early stages of determining how best to market Garden City when more than half of its land is devoted to industrial or commercial uses related to due the Georgia Ports Authority.

Iannone conducted a listening tour with business owners and hoteliers to identify their customer bases and what their priorities are for 2025.

Outlook:Eight hotels, 3k housing units in pipeline for Port Wentworth over next two years

Over the next two years, Garden City will feel the impacts from several projects opening in surrounding cities—such as the first Wawa in Georgia, just 20 minutes away in Pooler, and the Ghost Pirates Ice Cove and Anchor Park in Port Wentworth. Both developments are easily accessible through Garden City.

“Business owners in Garden City are keenly aware that Garden City is an ideal option for budget-conscience travelers looking to visit Savannah, Chatham County and the surrounding areas,” Ianonne said. “Mainly due to its proximity to athletic fields, the port, EnMarket Arena, and more. Whether it’s a business traveler doing business at the port, a leisure traveler in town to enjoy all the attractions offered locally, or a family attending an event at a nearby sports venue, Garden City is the ideal location.”

Next step involves refresh of Garden City's tourism website

The goal is to wrap up conversations by year's end, and then Visit Savannah will sit with Iannone and make recommendations for strategies to promote businesses. One of the first things they’ll consider is an update to the Garden City tourism website, which needs a refresh, according to Marinelli.

“We can’t have a visitor go to the website and there’s something there from like 2013, or something like that. We’ll be thinking about advertising strategies, like print and digital ads, thinking about how to promote Garden City on social media and so forth, once we refresh the brand,” Marinelli said. “Hopefully, this will benefit the business in Garden City and attract more visitors.”

Iannone said they would be focused on marketing regionally to drive-market customers and welcoming film and construction crews who want somewhere to stay that’s budget-friendly.

The marketing plan will then be presented to the Garden City manager with objectives for 2025 and beyond.

“The key is that none of this will happen overnight. It takes time and patience to do it right, and fortunately, the city manager and the local area business owners understand and are on board,” Ianonne said. “The most important thing for residents to understand is that, ultimately, a tourism/marketing plan is about jobs. Increased visitation not only means hotel stays—it means more diners in restaurants, more visits to dry cleaners and convenience stores, and more engagement with local businesses.”

Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for the Savannah Morning News, covering the municipalities, and community and cultural programs. You can reach her at DAmbus@gannett.com.