JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Salvation Army has a lot of open space right in their backyards, they didn't know what to do with it until today they decided to put it to a good cause.
Homeless shelters in St. Johns County are running out of room. And for the last two years, Home Again St. Johns has been the organization trying to solve that problem with the idea of a one stop family shelter.
"The gap that we hope to fill is by having a number of providers at one location so you can come here you can get your job training here your housing here, your meals here," said Leanna Freeman, President of Home Again St. Johns.
Sounds impressive but the idea itself was homeless. They needed a location, and that's where the Salvation Army came in.
"We rose the flag and said hey we got property we agree with what you want to do let's talk," said Major Ronald Mott with the St. Johns Salvation Army.
That talk led to a deal. The Salvation Army is leasing the 13 and a half acres in their backyard to Home Again St. Johns for the bargain of a dollar per year.
"As long as we're able to meet human need and do things the Salvation Army stands for, this is a perfect match," said Major Mott.
Today Home Again St. Johns made the deal public, and county officials came out to show their support from the Sheriff to the Chief of Police to the County Commissioner. They've all agreed to help get the project funded.
Home Again St. Johns says the next step is to figure out who else wants to get involved in the planning process, so they can draw up building plans.
