“I wish he was back”: Gainesville homeless people lament the loss of The Way day care center

From sleeping bags to welfare benefits, members of the Gainesville homeless saw The Way on Bradford Street as a haven.

Deyton told The Times earlier this week about the difficulty of finding a new place in the Midtown area to help the homeless population of Gainesville. He’s moved from the job but still plans to do pop-up services and work with other agencies.

“A lot of people now wish he was back because there really isn’t any other place to go than here,” said Tommy Green as he stood in front of Good News at noon.

Good News at Noon director Ken Gossage said he has seen an increase in the use of the facility’s showers since The Way closed. The Way usually served breakfast and lunch, while Good News at Noon served lunch and dinner.

“One thing that was kind of a niche for (Deyton) was the tents and sleeping bags and the like,” Gossage said. “We have some of the ones he had left, but they left quickly.”

Deyton and other volunteers would help community members obtain vital personal documents such as birth certificates, ID cards, and social security cards by using The Way as a place to receive mail.

Callaway said he now needs to find a way to transfer these items to keep up with his Veterans Affairs and Social Security benefits.

“Jerry still does this to this day, he’ll help you if you have an honest need,” said Kimberly Loomis, who lived in her truck.

When the weather got worse, people used The Way to escape the elements. With The Way closed, there is one less option this summer to brave the heat.

“You have to do what you have to do, and it’s really not a safe place for a woman out here,” Loomis said. “Because women got harmed out here, were persecuted out here, and it’s hard for a woman to go to the bathroom out here.”

Green said Deyton is good to everyone and even offers people jobs to help run The Way.

“I don’t like to hold on to debt, so I’m going to pay him back because it’s not right to take on debt and then just not give it back,” Loomis said. “… Those he has helped will be blessed by him.”

Gossage discussed plans for Good News at Noon, which serves more than 100 people every day, to build and move into a room twice as large as early as May. The new plan would give them 40 beds in a men’s dormitory and 20 beds for women.

Gossage said Thursday, July 29th that they intended to be in the new building by the end of the year, but a more likely schedule will be spring 2022.

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