- Derry Petty hopes to reopen Grace Haven Center on Jackson's south side, in honor of his late grandmother, Billie Oliver.
- Billie Oliver ran the shelter from 1991 to 2013.
- The cost to rehabilitate the shelter is estimated to be $85,000, and Derry has started fundraising through GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/6x56f34
Grace Haven Center was once a special spot for Derry Petty. His grandmother, Billie Oliver, ran the shelter from 1991 to 2013. A place that provided shelter and resources to the unhoused on Jackson's south side for decades.
"This place has done so much for the City of Jackson, especially on the south side," says Petty. After Billie's untimely death in 2013, Grace Haven's board dissolved and the building was left abandoned and on the verge of tax foreclosure. When Petty heard the building was to be torn down, he began paying taxes on it himself.
Petty has continued his efforts to reopen its doors, with a vision for Grace Haven to become a safe space for youth and families. "This might be an intermediate place where families can come relax, then we can bring in other services to bridge that gap back with both the parent and the kid," explains Petty.
So far, Petty has began building a board of directors, continued to fundraise, and connected with local nonprofits to see how Grace Haven can come back as a 501(c)3 of its own.
"I'd like to still keep Grace Haven here in the community, especially on the south side of Jackson," says Petty.
You can find his GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/6x56f34
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