HOLLAND, Mich. — Homelessness is at a high in West Michigan. And homeless shelters in Michigan are filling up with people just trying to stay warm.
According to Housing Kent, Kent County has the 3rd 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.
And while shelters can help with the immediate need of getting out of the cold, that's not the only thing they aim to provide.
At Gateway Mission in Holland, a series of programs help people find solutions to the problems behind their homelessness, including addiction and unemployment.
The programs include their Open Door Program, Pathway Program, Forge Program, and Thrive Program. For more information on these programs, click here.
Gateway Mission has a proven track record, including soon-to-be Forge Program graduate Shannon Dulin, who says she wouldn't be here today without it.
“I wasn't judged for the first time," Shannon Dulin said. "I was encouraged by people, you know, and given that hope. I don't think I'd be right here at this moment. I think I would not be alive. Gateway gave me this hope that, you know, you are something special.”
Dulin speaks about various trauma that guided her to Gateway Mission, including sexual assault in her early years, being diagnosed with epilepsy, and introduced to drugs.
“I had no one to talk to. I kept it all inside, you know,” Dulin said. “I felt like a failure. I felt like I couldn't do things right. And, you know, the only thing I could do right was being mom. But that started to go backwards, too.”
Dulin's goal now is to take a step forward with her two daughters. “They were my life, you know," Dulin said. "I lived my life for them. I loved them, cared for them, and gave them my best.”
After over 40 weeks in Gateway Mission's Forge Program, Dulin plans to enroll in college courses and apply for a job through Gateway’s Thrive Program.
“Gateway Mission exists to declare and demonstrate the love of Jesus by providing programs and housing for those homeless and less fortunate in our community,” said Jay Riemersma, Executive Director of Gateway Mission. “People come in lost and broken, and they leave healed and full of hope and restoration for a bright future."
Their end goal is for everyone who walks in their doors to leave with a new lease on life, like Dulin. “It's the greatest comeback that I've ever been a part of, and I get a front row seat to it every single day,” Riemersma said.
Every single day, Dulin is working to become her best. “I found God at my lowest, you know, so broken," Dulin said. "Then I said, Shannon, no matter what, you're never alone. So just trust in God, have faith, and don't ever give up.”
Riemersma says Gateway Mission is looking to expand their facilities in the coming months, and they have recently purchased a property that will quadruple their capacity for housing to help others like Dulin reclaim their lease on life.
For additional information on Gateway Mission, click here.
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