SERVICES
How We Impact Our Community
The City of Springfield, like other small cities, has insufficient resources to accommodate the rising number of homeless and transient individuals who have spilled over from the Nashville Metropolitan area. Often these individuals are present, recovering, or former substance abusers who are unable to secure employment or house themselves because of their addictions and deterioration of basic life skills.
Local churches and community organizations are often hard-pressed to assist these people past a temporary hotel stay or a warm meal and have repeatedly voiced the need for adequate housing for these individuals in the form of shelters and temporary housing. Even more important, is the need for structured programs and services to assist these individuals to recovery from the time they seek help.
Besides GFCAC’s two homes, there is presently only one small shelter in the city of Springfield and Robertson County.
community Services
The Master's Table
Every morning from 10:00 am - 11:00 am, people enter the Master's Table from all walks of life for a free warm meal. No one is turned away; we simply show love. While there, we hope that they receive much more than just a meal. No proof of hardship is required and no one is turned away.
Bransford Pride
An after-school and summer academic tutoring program that services students for several Robertson County schools in grades Pre-K through 5th. Our program also offers enrichment and STEM activities, field trips, and community service learning.
Short-Term Shelter
(1-15 days)
Our Short-Term Shelter program offers immediate support, including food, clothing, and shelter, to unhoused individuals. We assess program participants for potential transition to our transitional housing. Those not seeking long-term housing and treatment receive help with job placement, family reunification, and transportation within a 50-mile radius.
Transitional Housing
(6-12 months)
Our Transitional Housing program focuses on recovery, housing, job/life skills, and faith-based support. Residents receive certified substance abuse counseling, employment opportunities, and weekly counseling sessions. We provide transportation for group counseling, work, and worship to assist residents in their journey to stability.
Supporting GFCAC Means Supporting Your Community
Our Impact
GFCAC gives back to the community in many ways. Many people have come through the transitional homes and have shared testimonials of how their life was changed through the ministry of GFCAC. In the words of one of our first residents, Jim Campbell, “I’ve never seen a place like Greater Faith. It’s a place where everybody is somebody. The vision of this ministry is amazing.”
GFCAC is continuing to make a difference in the Springfield and Robertson County community.
Besides the transitional homes, we have expanded the ministry into a non-profit soup kitchen, The Master’s Table, which provides warm meals daily to the hungry. The Master’s Table opened on Thanksgiving Day 2008 and fed over 250 people on opening day. With over 50 part-time volunteers and 3 full-time, the kitchen feeds over 40 persons a day during the soup kitchen hours. Besides providing daily meals to the hungry, the Master’s Table provides immediate volunteer opportunities to the men and women in the transitional homes, who desperately need activity to avoid idle time to regain a sense of belonging.
In 2022, GFCAC provided direct assistance to 1,719 individuals including food, clothing, shelter, counseling, job placement, and transportation. The Master’s Table Soup Kitchen provided approximately 19,222 free meals to the hungry and poor, including over 1,500 meals on Thanksgiving Day alone. Over 20 churches participated in feeding the hungry.
In the spring of 2009, GFCAC was blessed to lease a community building from the Springfield Housing Authority, free of charge, to administer non-profit programs and services for the community. We are very excited about the GFCAC Community Center, which is now used to host GED/Adult Literacy classes, substance abuse classes, small community gatherings, and other community-focused projects. “The location is perfect, says Pastor Gardner. “It’s right on the street, centrally located, in one of the neediest parts of the city. People can walk right in and receive help.” GFCAC’s accomplishments in just a few short years have been tremendous. These milestones are a direct reflection of the strong community support and the overwhelming need for the services GFCAC provides. Many men and women have been helped by GFCAC, either through the transitional housing program, Master’s Table, Bransford Revitalization Project, or other supportive services. As the need grows, so must the ministry grow to accommodate the need. Currently, we are in need of a family shelter to provide short-term housing for
homeless or displaced families. We are now in need of a larger facility to feed the hungry, and we need more transitional homes. Our vision is to secure an older hotel or apartment building and renovate it into a short-term shelter to house individuals and families. We solicit your prayers and support toward this goal. In the words of one of our recent female residents, “Prayer can make it happen. It worked for me!”
