Macomb shelter serves the homeless of the suburbs
Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published February 16, 2007
Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic
Volunteer Maxine Fehringer serves hot soup to homeless people at St. Margaret of Scotland as the St. Clair Shores parish hosted the Macomb County Warming Center Feb. 7. | St. Clair Shores — Kevin Goodrich knew about homelessness in Detroit, but it took a homeless man taking up residence right in front of his church for him to realize it's a problem in the suburbs, too.
"Our sign out front is like two sides of a triangle, with the point toward 13 Mile Road. This gentleman put a board over it, and had hooked up a heater to the electrical outlet (that is part of the lighting system)," said Goodrich, a member of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in St. Clair Shores.
That started Goodrich on the road to getting some people together to found the Macomb County Warming Center. Six years later, Goodrich is still president of the organization, but St. Margaret has been joined by 17 other Catholic parishes and Protestant churches in hosting the shelter for one week a year during the months of November through March.
So, on those bitter cold nights the week of Feb. 4-10, the homeless were still finding shelter at St. Margaret of Scotland, but instead of just one guy huddling in the parish sign, 90 some received a meal and place to sleep in the parish gym.
The MCWC is having to expand its fund raising efforts, however, because it is losing its major funding source in recent years, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth. "We love them and they love us, but they have a maximum amount they will give to any organization in a 10-year period, and their grants to us have already exceeded that maximum to some degree," said Goodrich's wife, Kathy McKinley-Goodrich.
Even before the Macomb County Warming Center, there was a rotating homeless shelter program in Macomb County, which St. Margaret also participates in for one week each year, but like most such programs it imposes limits on how long a person can use it and screens out anyone who is inebriated or high on drugs.
Discussing operations of the Macomb County Warming Center shelter are (from left) Carolyn Johnson and Deacon Ron Channell of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, and Kevin Goodrich, president of the shelter and a St. Margaret parishioner. | Goodrich doesn't oppose the way those other shelters are run, and acknowledges that their structured programs help homeless people who are trying to get back on their feet. In fact, he credits those programs for providing services to help the homeless transition into permanent residences and find jobs.
It's just that he worries about anyone having to spend the night outside in bitter cold weather, and maintains there should be a shelter of last resort. The MCWC supplies a hot soup meal in the evening, blankets for sleeping, and then breakfast in the morning.
Deacon Ron Channell, Christian Service coordinator at St. Margaret of Scotland, described the policy of the Macomb County Warming Center:
"We take in the alcoholic or the drug addict, or the mentally disturbed just to get them off of the streets," he said.
Even so, they can't tolerate violent behavior. "It doesn't happen often, but when it does we try to calm them down or they have to leave. The St. Clair Shores police are very cooperative, and sometimes the police drop people off here," Deacon Channell said.
He acknowledged that the idea of the parish hosting such a shelter was a bit of a hard sell when it was first proposed, but he said there are spiritual benefits to participation.
"Once a church gets involved with these people, the parish community becomes more united and spirit-filled," Deacon Channell said.
And there is a special joy when they see someone turn his or her life around. "We've got a fellow who's a volunteer here now — and he's got an apartment and a job — but who used to be homeless," the deacon added.
When a parish such as St. Margaret of Scotland hosts the MCWC, the parish and parishioner volunteers supply all the food and supplies. Some of the congregations that host the shelter do not have the means to bear those costs themselves, so the MCWC has to help them, Goodrich said.
The MCWC's greater flexibility when it comes to how long a person can take advantage of its services is largely a result of its reliance on private funding sources, instead of federal or state grants, which typically come with many restrictions, he explained.
"We say we can take up to 120 people, but we've never turned anyone away in our six years," Goodrich added.
McKinley-Goodrich,said MCWC volunteers try to make the homeless persons who come to the shelter feel welcome. "We try to make them feel that they are home for the evening," she said.
While the MCWC overnight shelter program is simpler than some others, the organization does provide other services to the homeless at its day center, the Ray of Hope Warming Center just north of downtown Mount Clemens, where McKinley-Goodrich serves as the director.
There the homeless are assisted in obtaining valid identification documents, such as birth certificates, Social Security cards and state ID cards — prerequisites for applying for almost all social services programs or jobs. They can also use the telephone to explore work opportunities.
There, too, the object is to provide a caring environment. "You know, a lot of these people don't have somebody to even talk to. We provide not only physical shelter, but also emotional shelter," she said.
Contributions to the Macomb County Warming Center may be sent to P.O. Box 53, Roseville 48066. For more information, call (586) 446-4413.
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