Guiding Light - WKTV Journal

At the opening of Guiding Light’s Iron House, sober-living apartments, in the City of Kentwood in late January, Guiding Light Board Chair John Harrington provides opening remarks and Esther Yff-Prins, one of the Guiding Light spiritual directors, gives the blessing of the Iron House. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Guiding Light, a Grand Rapids non-profit that helps men struggling with addiction and homelessness to return to society, announced this week the opening of its sixth Iron House as two of its clients moved into the sober-living apartments in the City of Kentwood.

Clients, staff, board members and volunteers gathered for a private blessing and tour of the recently remodeled building on Jan. 28.

The new Iron House comes at a time of increased demand for addiction recovery services, according to the announcement. Since the beginning of 2021, Guiding Light has experienced increases in the number of inquiries and program enrollments for its Recovery program.

The opening of a new Guiding Light Iron House in the City of Kentwood. (Supplied)

Able to accommodate seven men, the four-unit apartment building increases the nonprofit’s capacity to house men “as they transition back into the mainstream of society after successfully completing the Foundation phase of Guiding Light’s Recovery program,” according to the announcement.

In total, Guiding Light can house a total of 42 men in its six Iron House locations.

The apartments are designed for community-oriented sober living and are reserved exclusively for men who have finished four to six months of intensive residential treatment that combines evidence-based practices, life-coaching, therapy, support groups, spiritual direction and other resources to equip men to stay sober and reengage with their family, friends and community.

Background on Iron House program

The Iron House model has proven to be a “key component” in setting clients up for success to achieve long-term recovery, according to the announcement. Guiding Light has found 76 percent of men who move to Iron House reach at least one year of abstinence-based sobriety.

Guiding Light Board Chair John Harrington provides opening remarks at the opening of a City of Kentwood Iron House. (Supplied)

“We want to give men the best opportunity possible for living a healthy, connected life in recovery,” Recovery Director Brian Elve said in supplied material. “That’s why we created a structure with Iron House that allows men to stay connected with the support offered by Guiding Light.

“We recognize it takes a year or more to change the physical structure of the brain and its response to addiction. Iron House allows for truly comprehensive, long-term, transformative care and we are excited to invest in our community this way.”

After completing the “Foundation” phase of recovery, Guiding Light clients who are interested in continuing their recovery journeys at Iron House are able to apply for the opportunity. If accepted, clients are able to move into an apartment once they have secured full-time employment.

In addition to abstinence-based sobriety, Iron House residents focus on honing important life skills. Residents all have jobs. They buy and prepare their own food, pay their own bills and engage with each other in a communal-living environment.

“They look after and support each other, practicing community and providing support to one another with a common goal of creating lives worth staying sober for,” according to the announcement.

Programs, goals of Guiding Light

While living more independently, residents still have access to the support and resources of the recovery program, such as the opportunity to attend classes or support groups, participate in a spiritual direction group, work with a life coach and give back to the community through service.

Not only has Iron House been a key part of helping residents maintain their sobriety, it has also generated profits to ensure Guiding Light’s programming can remain free to participants, according to the announcement.

Funds from Iron House and The Job Post, Guiding Light’s two social enterprises, benefit clients while also aiding in the financial sustainability of the nonprofit’s programs. The programs are otherwise entirely funded by donations and grants.

Founded in 1929 as the West Fulton St. Mission, Guiding Light has grown into a recovery and reengagement community designed to “help those living at society’s margins fulfill their God-given potential,” according to supplied information.

For more information about Guiding Light’s recovery program, call 616-451-0236, ext. 23 and “take a confidential first step.” Learn more at guidinglightworks.org.

Kent County Health Department’s Guiding Light building has 24 private rooms and a bunk area able to serve as an isolation facility for homeless persons. (Kent County Health Department)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Following last week’s action by homeless community advocate Guiding Light Works to temporarily turn over the keys to its facility at 255 S. Division in Grand Rapids to the Kent County Health Department, the health department announced today that it was ready to start accepting and isolating homeless persons.

In an afternoon announcement Friday, March 3, the Health Department confirmed completion of its work to prepare the facility as an isolation center for those experiencing homelessness who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are awaiting test results. The facility today began accepting patients who are referred from community hospitals.

“Guiding Light has always been a valued partner, but now more than ever, we appreciate their collaboration, sacrifice, and generosity,” Dr. Adam London, Kent County Health Department Director, said in supplied material. “Our goal is to provide a safe place for people who are experiencing homelessness to recover from the coronavirus and to minimize the transmission of the virus.”

The facility has 24 private rooms, a bunk area, six bathrooms, and a full-service kitchen that can accommodate up to 60 individuals when fully staffed.

“Our staff has done a tremendous job transitioning this facility into an isolation center,” London said. “They have worked tirelessly to assess the medical and operational needs to ensure individuals using this facility are well cared for during their recovery.”

A sign on the door of the Kent County Health Department’s Guiding Light designed to serve as an isolation facility for homeless persons. (Kent County Health Department)

The development of this facility would not have been possible without the partnership of the City of Grand Rapids and the non-profit community, as well as the generosity of Amway Corporation and Meijer Inc. who donated household and hygiene items, according to the health department statement.

“This is a very strategic and important public health intervention which will save lives,” London said.

Guiding Light’s offering use the building was key to the effort.

“As we have watched the spread of COVID-19 through our community, we have been increasingly alarmed to realize there was no announced coordinated plan to care for the men and women struggling with addiction, mental health issues and homelessness in the Heartside community,” Stuart Ray, Guiding Light executive director, said in supplied material announcing the use agreement last week.

“So Guiding Light stepped up, much as we have done every day for the past 90 years of caring for the most vulnerable in our society. We felt it was our God-given responsibility to step forward to make available a safe, clean and secure isolation space in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 in our Heartside community. Without access to proper sanitation or the ability to physically distance, an outbreak in Heartside would ravage this group of souls.”

Guiding Light is maintaining its rescue, recovery, and re-engagement programs at its Iron House facility.

For more information on Guiding Light Works visit their website at guidinglightworks.org.