Hopefuls seek shelter for the homeless
Two men are hoping to give the Mount Pleasant community a place for the homeless population to seek shelter.
Pastor Robert Griffus of Open Arms Ministries is in the process of providing a location for the less fortunate to bathe, eat and reside. The only thing standing in Griffus’ way is support.
Currently, Griffus is in the process of organizing board members in order to establish a 501(c)(3), one of 28 types of nonprofit organizations that are exempt from some federal income taxes. In order to achieve this status, he needs an additional reliable board member.
Griffus said a few Mount Pleasant residents have complained about the number of homeless individuals who were found sleeping in public areas around Mount Pleasant and Isabella County during the summer months.
“Stop complaining and come forth,” Griffus said.
Griffus is waiting patiently for a group of participants to help the process. However, he said he has come to the conclusion that this project may be a one-man show.
Mount Pleasant’s Salvation Army is trying to make its own contributions.
Instead of trying to create a shelter for the homeless, Brian Reed, Captain Area Corps Officer for the Salvation Army, is taking the transitional approach.
Reed said he believes there is a need for a homeless shelter in Mount Pleasant, but he believes the majority of homeless people in Mount Pleasant are in a transitional stage in their lives, perhaps moving from one city to another.
Reed helps low-income and homeless individuals find temporary shelter in hopes they can then find their way after aid is offered.
In the future, Reed said he would like to create a set of transitional homes that are offered for little pay to help low-income individuals to decrease the amount of homelessness in the Mount Pleasant area.
Irene Little, Emergency Services Program Coordinator of the American Red Cross, said they serve anywhere from 320 to 400 people a month in their food pantry.
The number of homeless people living in the community is unknown, Little said.
"I don't have an exact number, but I do know that more people are homeless than we expect," she said.
The food pantry serves about 15 to 18 homeless individuals a month. Little said she knows a family currently living from their car.
"There is definitely a need for a homeless shelter in Mount Pleasant," she said.
