Grants will help ministry expand

Significant grant awards will help the downtown GAP Ministries Augusta expand its services and be more accessible to people with disabilities.

GAP, which operates out of the former Greene Street Presbyterian Church, secured a $135,000 grant from the Presbyterian Women of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a $50,000 pledge from the Georgia Rehabilitation Institute, GAP administrator Jodi Huff said.

The funds will “allow us to upgrade this beautiful building and provide accessible, workable space for GAP and our mission partners,” Huff said.

For more than 40 years, GAP has provided services for the working poor, disabled and other marginalized communities at the church, helping to “bridge the gap” between need and independent living, Huff said.

The grants are hoped to cover construction of two Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant restrooms, install an elevator in a new tower attached to the church’s Ellis Street entrance, and renovate rooms on the second floor to expand GAP’s prescription assistance and wellness programs, which are provided by volunteer registered nurses, she said.

Other services include assistance with obtaining birth certificates and photo IDs, a bin ministry for the homeless to store their belongings, and a diaper ministry. GAP also provides space for partner organizations such as Narcotics Anonymous and the PATH program to combat homelessness.

Augusta architecture firm Studio3 Design was already at work Thursday measuring the building for the renovations. Architect Ellen Pruitt said the firm is mindful of both the building’s history and its current purpose.

“We’re trying to be sensitive to the building’s fabric while being sensitive to their mission,” she said.