As hurricane season reaches its peak, staff and volunteers at St. Francis House in Gainesville are ramping up emergency preparations—not just for the storm itself, but to protect those who are often the first to feel the impact and the last to recover.
St. Francis House is part of the City of Gainesville’s shelter network and primarily serves people experiencing homelessness. With storms posing serious risks to those without stable housing, the shelter is taking proactive steps to ensure safety and continuity of care.
“We’re in the process of making sure that the gas is good, that the generators are working, plugging them in to make sure everything is great,” said Lauri Schiffbauer, CEO and Executive Director of St. Francis House. Nathaniel Enoch, who lives on the streets, knows firsthand how critical shelter access becomes during a hurricane.
“You have to prepare, but some people are homeless and ain’t got no shelter to hide from,” Enoch said. Schiffbauer emphasized that energy and water are top priorities when preparing the shelter—similar to how families prepare their homes.
“We make sure we have lots of bottled water or Gatorade… When folks come in and they’re doing the overnight shelter with us—just for the night or two nights—we want to be able to give them bedding. Those are the things we really focus on,” she said. The shelter can accommodate up to 50 people, though that number has never been reached. In anticipation of storms, the shelter enforces a curfew to ensure everyone is safely inside.
“You’ve got to be in the shelter by 9 o’clock, and after 9 o’clock the doors are locked,” Schiffbauer added. Shelter leaders say community support is essential to keeping their doors open. Their most urgent needs include clothing, flashlights, and canned food. A full list of needed items is available on their website.