HOLLAND, Mich. — Homelessness continues to be at a high in West Michigan.
According to Housing Kent, Kent County has the third highest rate of homelessness in the state. County data shows that as of December, there were roughly 2,000 people living in Ottawa County without a home. So, there is a growing impact shelters are having on our neighbors. Because of this growing need, Gateway Mission, a local non-profit in Holland, is growing, too.
Gateway Mission offers a series of programs to help people find solutions to the problems behind their homelessness, including addiction and unemployment.
This November, Gateway plans to open a new men’s facility, which will more than double their current capacity.
I sat down with one soon-to-be Gateway grad, Bradley Laski, who says the growing mission of Gateway saved his life. “It’s just been a journey of being homeless, in and out of jail, in rehabs, living on the streets, not talking to my family, lying, cheating, and stealing,” Laski said.
Laski says since he was 18, his life has just been about chasing the next high... until he came to Gateway a year and a half ago, straight from the Kent County Jail. “The requirement of the probation was that I come to Gateway and go through the nine-month Forge program,” Laski said.
Since joining Forge, Gateway’s addiction recovery program, Laski says his faith is what saved him. “The only answer I have to help with my sobriety and to help me move forward is Jesus. He changed my heart, changed the way I think and view things,” Laski said.
Laski is set to graduate from the final Gateway program, called Thrive, in September. Currently, Laski is an intern within the Thrive program, working as a residential supervisor at the men’s center. “I remember when I first got here and I remember the person checking me in. I was like, 'That's the job I want.' I wanted to help people that were like me, and who better to help than the person that's been through it,” Laski said.
Now, Gateway is doubling their resources in the expansion of their new men’s facility. Come November, Gateway will be providing more men like Laski with a second chance, covering everything from emergency housing needs to job training.
"On any given night, we're going to have over 250 men that are going to be provided that life-saving, life transformation that Gateway has been providing for over 120 years," said Jay Riemersma, Executive Director at Gateway Mission. “We wanted to grow not only our capacity, but our program. This space is going to provide that resource for our community.”
As for Laski, he plans to work full-time at this new men’s facility, and is forever grateful for this gateway to give back. “I feel like a new person," Laski said. "I didn't know that I could be free like this."
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