A space aimed at giving users of the 91大黄鸭 Gospel Mission an outdoor place to congregate that takes them off the sidewalk outside the Leon Avenue facility was officially opened today.

The Courtyard, located adjacent to the Mission鈥檚 emergency shelter at 265 Leon Ave., is a walled-in, open area with places sit and room for the homeless to keep their possessions with there.

It was built at a cost of $100,000 with the support of 20 community project sponsor partners. It is equipped with 12 storage lockers for carts filled with belongings of homeless people.

While it has been open for a few weeks and is being used, however, some days there are still large numbers of people outside on the sidewalk near the shelter鈥檚 front doors.

Billed as a safe and comfortable place to go, The Courtyard has made a huge difference in the lives of mission clients, said Gospel Mission executive director Randy Benson.

鈥淭he Courtyard is a beautiful haven beside our emergency shelter that provides not only safety for our guests but also the compassionate friendship of our dedicated volunteers and staff.鈥�

He commended donors and community partners for stepping up to help support the construction project, the former site of the Mission鈥� thrift store.