Photos for Headline Surfer® /DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- At one time, Mark Geallis made sandwiches in Chicago, - a job he didn't find all too fulfilling.
Seven years ago he, having long since moved to Central Florida, he became a missions leader to Haiti and Costa Rica. This led him to his calling as a minister and current post as executive director of Halifax Urban Ministries in Daytona Beach.
Geallis is among the big 3 community leaders who pushed for Hope Place, which calls for the conversion of the former Hurst Elementary School, just north of Daytona Beach and west of Holly Hill in unincorporated Volusia County, into a full-fledged shelter for homeless families with children and for teens who are at least 18 and enrolled in school, but have no home or in some cases even parents to go home to.
Headline Surfer® will take you through the roles played by Geallis and the other two community leaders who worked together to make Hope Place a reality -- Forough Hosseini and Jim Dinneen -- as this investigative reporting series progresses.
Geallis' role in Hope Place is to administer the programs through HUM. Hosseini's role is soliciting and rallying the private sector to step up to the plate with fundraising and seeing the program become reality and Dinneen's role in providing taxpayer funding and other revenue streams through the County Council, which has already resulted in approval for some of the funding with another round upcoming that is expected to result in unanimous approval for the balance of monies needed.
The Volusia County Council voted unanimously March 3 to fund Project Hope for homeless families with children (108 bunks) and for approximately 28-32 unaccompanied youth (teens 18 18 & older without parents) but still attending school.
What follows is a snapshot profile on Geallis. Likewise, Hosseini and Dinneen will be featured in separate snapshot profiles:
Mark Geallis and his wife, Andreina, are shown in photo at left, at the recent Sonfest in Port Orange, showcasing Halifax Urban Ministries' diverse programs that help the less fortunate in greater Daytona Beach and Volusia County. Geallis accepts checks as shown in trhe middle photo, and the HUM executive director greets elderly citizens at a community function.Name: Mark Geallis.
Age: 61.
Career: Executive director of Halifax Urban Ministries in Daytona Beach for eight months now. HUM development director for three years before that. Started in ministry and homeless outreach in 2009 as Salty Church Missions Director. He moved here in 1976, after working in family sandwich shop. He also worked in a hotel-restaurant and operated three Subway sandwich shoppes.
Education: Maranatha Christian College (Fort Lauderdale) Ormond Beach Satellite campus in 2012 & 2013, Bachelor's of Science in Biblical Studies. Was then ordained by Maranatha because of full-time service to God and people in ministry.
Family: Married a year and a week to wife, Andreina; stepfather to 3 children from previous 21-year marriage.
Residence: South Daytona.
Sports fan: Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL.
Coming Up:
Previous Coverage:
Preamble: Posted Wed, 2016-03-09 10:33
Part 1:Posted Mon, 2016-04-04 10:07