11/19/2006

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Michelle Hart Jahraus paints a mural in the lounge of Pete’s Place, the nearly finished youth wing of the new Goodwill Inn in Traverse City.

New shelter offers hope and dignity

Ribbon-cutting ceremony set for today

By
Record-Eagle staff writer

TRAVERSE CITY — Large windows fill the new Goodwill Inn homeless shelter with light.

Those who stay here may well be filled with hope.

Toni Rowe will live here soon. Her family of four now stays in a rundown former hotel on South Division Street, where a shelter has operated since 1986(*). Rowe is grateful for the accommodations, her case worker and child advocate: A "godsend,” she called it.

"I feel very fortunate to have a chance to be here,” she said.

But in the family's room, the power keeps going out. The kitchen is falling apart, and the busy traffic causes her to worry about her children.

"It's too dark,” Rowe said.

Today, Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan will celebrate the construction of a new $4.7 million Garfield Township shelter, with wide windows and gleaming fixtures.

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Cecil McNally stands in the doorway of a nearly finished wing of the new Goodwill Inn in Traverse City.

"The other building, not only is it too small but it is falling down. The basement has flooded. The walls have cracked,” said Lois Lannin, the inn's manager. "It is just old, and it's long, long ago finished its life.”

That facility can house about 50 people. It is full. The new inn has 70 beds, but occupancy could reach up to 119.

On one side of the new building is the Pete's Place youth wing. It will provide housing for nine teenagers and is run by Third Level Crisis Intervention Center.

The inn's amenities will include 24-hour staffing, laundry machines, a commercial kitchen, computers, children's play areas and training space.

Inside, muted taupe and tan furnishings create a calm atmosphere. The tables and beds are uniform and utilitarian but sturdy and attractive. The units look alike, except for the hand-made quilts stitched by about 70 area women. The colorful coverings stretch over the beds, lending coziness to the rooms.

There are rooms for single men and women, as well as spacious one- and two-bedroom family suites with kitchenettes and dining areas. Cabinets will be thoughtfully stocked with pans and plates. Families will be encouraged to prepare and eat meals together.

"Part of the idea of this is to have families function as families,” said Cecil McNally, executive director of Goodwill Industries.

Shelter for an entire family is a growing need because people are "living close to the edge,” said McNally. An unexpected car repair, medical crisis, addiction or other trouble can cause a family to lose their house. The average stay at the inn is 47 days, but some families remain for six months.

Those who live at the old shelter are expected to move to the new one about Dec. 6. Rowe is pleased about the nicer accommodations, but she hopes not to stay long. She and her husband are working, saving money, so they can move to a place of their own.

McNally hopes the new place will "add to the dignity” of the homeless, who in crisis seek shelter. "Maybe,” he said, it will help them to not "feel so different.”

Goodwill planned for the new inn for six years. Today, officials will celebrate its construction with an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. at 2942 Keystone Road. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.