Safe Harbor Preps For New Shelter, Last Season In Churches

Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse will open its doors Saturday at Church of Christ at Traverse Bay United Methodist – the start of another winter season offering emergency shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness. But far from another routine season, this year is a pivotal one for Safe Harbor, which will call on its network of host churches one last time while simultaneously preparing to open a permanent home in 2017.

Traverse City commissioners approved the $50,000 sale of a city-owned building on Wellington Street and an adjacent lot on Franklin Street to Safe Harbor in April for use as an emergency homeless shelter. Since that time, Safe Harbor has been in a “quiet phase” of fundraising to raise $1.5 million to cover a complete conversion of the warehouse into a 65-bed shelter, as well as the first two years of operating costs. The new shelter, set to open next fall, will offer overflow capacity and the eventual ability to expand up to 90 beds.

“We’re having some great success with fundraising,” says Safe Harbor Fundraising Chair Christie Minervini. “We’ve had several large donations come in. We’ve been incredibly buoyed by the support we’ve seen from the community – not just individuals, but construction and trade companies deeply discounting their services.”

Minervini says Safe Harbor aims to secure at least $1.2 million in its quiet phase before launching a public campaign for the remaining $300,000. While Minervini declined to share an exact figure of dollars raised to date, she said the group expected to hit its $1.2 million quiet-phase goal “by the spring.”

Meanwhile, Safe Harbor Board Chairman Peter Starkel says the organization has been extended a $1 million line of credit to immediately begin building repairs. “Right now the interior has been gutted, everything’s been ripped out and it’s basically a shell,” says Starkel. “It looks ugly on the outside, but I’m really happy with the bones of the building. The new roof will be on in the next week or so…then we’ll be getting our final designs and permits, and after that things start rolling pretty fast.”

Starting work now – rather than waiting until the capital campaign is complete – will allow Safe Harbor to hire in-demand contractors during the slower winter months, and ensure the organization stays on track to open next year, says Starkel. “We hope to have our occupancy permit in August…but we just need to be ready for next season,” he says.

In the meantime, the 24 churches that provide shelter to Safe Harbor’s guests on a rotating weekly basis are gearing up for one last winter season. Escalating overcrowding issues in recent years – which have seen nightly population counts climb as high as 73, with 175-185 unique individuals using the shelter throughout last season – have made “things very challenging,” says St. Francis Church Coordinator Wayne Sterenberg. He notes some churches, like St. Francis, “have limited capacity. In that situation, where guests are in very tight quarters, it gets a lot more challenging to keep emotions in check on the part of the guests, and on the part of the volunteers.”

Sterenberg, who has volunteered for Safe Harbor since its inception in 2003, says both guests and volunteers are looking forward to the opening of the new shelter. “To have a facility actually designed for overnight lodging, and a commercial kitchen to provide excellent meals, and space for (partnering community agencies) so guests can get help moving out of homelessness…it’s exciting,” he says.

Minervini says the looming reality of the new shelter has helped renew enthusiasm and support around Safe Harbor’s mission. While the organization usually struggles “to fill vacant (church) spots in the schedule,” she says, “we’re booked this year into the end of March and beginning of April. So if we need to extend for weather-related reasons, everybody’s committed.” Church volunteers will soon have an opportunity to go through a new training system for the shelter, so that there’s “continuity in the experience (at the new facility) and a smooth transition to a permanent location,” says Minervini.

Safe Harbor has also formed a new neighborhood advisory council comprised of Safe Harbor representatives, neighborhood business and homeowner representatives, and a community police officer from the Traverse City Police Department. The group will meet quarterly beginning this month “to help avoid issues and problems before they exist (at the new shelter) and address any issues that do arise,” says Minervini.

Seeing the project finally come to life after several years of protracted planning and community debate is rewarding, Safe Harbor officials say. “Especially after a rough political process, having everyone come together and recognize the importance of this project is really nice,” says Minervini.