Tag Archives: Homeless women

County, City of GR, local agencies open a homeless women’s shelter at Catholic Central high

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The Catholic Central High School gym will be temporarily available to house homeless women. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Using a donated, temporary-use facility at Catholic Central High School, Kent County and City of Grand Rapids Emergency Management Divisions have partnered with the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, Mel Trotter Ministries, and The Salvation Army to create a “safe shelter” for women experiencing homelessness and who are presumed negative for COVID-19.

 

The facility, according to a statement Friday, April 24, from Kent County, will allow permanent shelters in the area to reduce their daily populations so individuals experiencing homelessness are better able to socially and physically distance.

Catholic Central High School (Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids)

“We are called as Catholics to care for our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable among us,” Greg Deja, principal/CEO of Catholic Central High School, said in supplied material. “While we’ve all been sheltering at home for the past month, many of our Heartside neighbors do not have that same option … Our decision to open our gymnasium as a dormitory reflects one of our core values at Catholic Central to serve — through which we come to know and love Christ more fully.”

The Catholic Central gymnasium can hold up to 75 women and provides shower facilities, food services provided by The Salvation Army, and other essential services. It will be primarily staffed by Kent County volunteers, the City of Grand Rapids Homeless Outreach Team, and Mel Trotter Ministries staff.

“This is an example of the entire community coming together to care for some of the most vulnerable in our community and do all we can to keep them safe. We are truly all in this together,” Dennis Van Kampen, CEO, Mel Trotter Ministries, said in supplied material. “My hope is that after this pandemic we will have created connections and work groups that continue to work together to solve some of our communities most urgent issues.”

The announcement for the county stresses that the facility use is not intended to be a long-term solution, and there are still staffing needs for the daily operation of the shelter. Volunteers for all shifts are needed and will not be in direct contact with known positive COVID-19 patients. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit kcest.org/volunteer.

“All of us who are working at the shelter have been moved by the strength of these women,” Lt. Lou Hunt, Kent County emergency manager, said in supplied material. “It has truly been a blessing and our privilege to serve this vulnerable yet highly appreciative population.”

Melanie House offers homeless women stable, affordable housing

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By Abbey Sladick, Mel Trotter Ministries

 

After the success of creating a transitional house for youth in 2017, Mel Trotter Ministries recently opened a transitional house for women who are experiencing homelessness. The MTM “Melanie House” was established to provide additional housing opportunities for women who have gone through a program at the Mel Trotter Ministries downtown shelter but still face challenging barriers to having a home of their own.

 

This housing opportunity fosters a supportive community environment and does not exclude women based on physical or mental disabilities, prior criminal history, addiction, bad credit or other barriers.

 

“The home will offer the tenants stable, affordable housing which they have been unable to secure in our city’s tight rental market,” said Dennis Van Kampen, CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries. “This experience will help these ladies build the foundation for independent living in the future and we believe this experience will help keep them from returning to homelessness.”

 

The Melanie House is located in an undisclosed location in Grand Rapids. It features two bathrooms, a community kitchen and dining area, and three private rooms for the three tenants who were formerly in an MTM program. One of the tenants serves as an on-site resident assistant and provides encouragement and guidance. Tenants pay $300-$400 a month for rent and also pay for their own utilities.

 

MTM will also offer aftercare services with a staff case manager who walks alongside the tenants as they connect with their new neighborhood, build credit history, navigate transportation, continue a savings plan and set goals for long-term housing.

 

Some items for furnishing the home are still needed by donors. To help, please go to www.meltrotter.org/needs to help out.