Fellowship Missions Renting Home From City For Homeless Shelter
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The group, whose mission is to serve the homeless, is now able to meet the needs of homeless women and children.
Fellowship Missions signed a six-month lease agreement with the city Wednesday afternoon.
Fellowship Missions will pay the city $1 in rental costs, plus utilities.
The agreement will allow Fellowship Missions to rent a home from the city for a temporary homeless shelter for women and children for the next six months.
The home is at 337 N. Buffalo St., and is the former Heartline Pregnancy Center home.
In addition to the temporary shelter for women and children, Fellowship Missions will continue to operate its transitional house for homeless men on South Buffalo Street that was started in April.
There are currently six homeless men staying there, and room for 12 men. Hours are 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Fellowship Missions staff began moving in donated furniture and clothing last Friday, and work continued Wednesday afternoon and night before the first two women showed up to stay Wednesday night.
Fellowship Missions purchased bunk beds from Reinholt's Furniture and appliances from Smith Appliance for the shelter for women and children.
Jonahlyn Quirk, 18, who has been homeless since she turned 18 on Jan. 28, said she is glad to have a more secure place like the shelter to stay.
"I was kicked out of my home at age 18, and have been staying with church family since," Quirk said. "God puts people in other people's life for a reason, and I think there is a reason I am here."
Quirk said she has lived at 14 different homes over the past year, and stayed at a shelter in Columbia City.
She is working and has plans to get her GED.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said Warsaw Redevelopment Commission purchased the former Heartline building in 2009, with plans for city parking and a sanitary pump station.
"To have an asset that can be offered to solve an immediate need was a perfect fit for us, and we were happy to offer the building for this purpose," Wiggins said.
Wiggins said three local grant funders, United Way of Kosciusko County, K21 Health Foundation and Kosciusko County Community Foundation, each donated $4,000 to apply toward the temporary homeless shelter.
The temporary homeless shelter for women and children has four bedrooms, two living rooms, two kitchens, two full bathrooms and a laundry room. The home can house 10 to 12 people.
There will be a computer set up so those who stay can look for jobs and complete online classes.
Operation hours for the shelter for women and children are 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., and those who stay will receive dinner and breakfast.
Two house managers, who are Grace College students, will stay with the women and children at the shelter.
Eric Lane, Fellowship Missions executive director, said the temporary homeless shelter for women and children is an answer to a prayer.
He also said the group will continue to seek a location for a permanent homeless shelter, but is no longer considering the former Brennan Building on East Market Street as a possibility and will not file a permit for the building.
Temporary homeless shelters have been located at various churches in 2008 and 2009 in Warsaw and Winona Lake.
Lane said he is grateful to have the opportunity to rent the home from the city to get those off the streets during the cold winter months.
"We want to see lives transformed and people get back up on their feet and get back into society. It's not about us, it's about them," Lane said.
Lane said volunteers are needed to cook and serve food at the shelter and to spend time with those who stay at the shelter.
People who want to make monetary donations to the shelter can mail checks to Fellowship Missions P.O. Box 382, Winona Lake, IN 46590. To donate food, paper or hygiene products, or those who have questions, can call Lane at 574-371-6448.
For more information about Fellowship Missions, visit www.fellowshipmissions.net
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The group, whose mission is to serve the homeless, is now able to meet the needs of homeless women and children.
Fellowship Missions signed a six-month lease agreement with the city Wednesday afternoon.
Fellowship Missions will pay the city $1 in rental costs, plus utilities.
The agreement will allow Fellowship Missions to rent a home from the city for a temporary homeless shelter for women and children for the next six months.
The home is at 337 N. Buffalo St., and is the former Heartline Pregnancy Center home.
In addition to the temporary shelter for women and children, Fellowship Missions will continue to operate its transitional house for homeless men on South Buffalo Street that was started in April.
There are currently six homeless men staying there, and room for 12 men. Hours are 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Fellowship Missions staff began moving in donated furniture and clothing last Friday, and work continued Wednesday afternoon and night before the first two women showed up to stay Wednesday night.
Fellowship Missions purchased bunk beds from Reinholt's Furniture and appliances from Smith Appliance for the shelter for women and children.
Jonahlyn Quirk, 18, who has been homeless since she turned 18 on Jan. 28, said she is glad to have a more secure place like the shelter to stay.
"I was kicked out of my home at age 18, and have been staying with church family since," Quirk said. "God puts people in other people's life for a reason, and I think there is a reason I am here."
Quirk said she has lived at 14 different homes over the past year, and stayed at a shelter in Columbia City.
She is working and has plans to get her GED.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said Warsaw Redevelopment Commission purchased the former Heartline building in 2009, with plans for city parking and a sanitary pump station.
"To have an asset that can be offered to solve an immediate need was a perfect fit for us, and we were happy to offer the building for this purpose," Wiggins said.
Wiggins said three local grant funders, United Way of Kosciusko County, K21 Health Foundation and Kosciusko County Community Foundation, each donated $4,000 to apply toward the temporary homeless shelter.
The temporary homeless shelter for women and children has four bedrooms, two living rooms, two kitchens, two full bathrooms and a laundry room. The home can house 10 to 12 people.
There will be a computer set up so those who stay can look for jobs and complete online classes.
Operation hours for the shelter for women and children are 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., and those who stay will receive dinner and breakfast.
Two house managers, who are Grace College students, will stay with the women and children at the shelter.
Eric Lane, Fellowship Missions executive director, said the temporary homeless shelter for women and children is an answer to a prayer.
He also said the group will continue to seek a location for a permanent homeless shelter, but is no longer considering the former Brennan Building on East Market Street as a possibility and will not file a permit for the building.
Temporary homeless shelters have been located at various churches in 2008 and 2009 in Warsaw and Winona Lake.
Lane said he is grateful to have the opportunity to rent the home from the city to get those off the streets during the cold winter months.
"We want to see lives transformed and people get back up on their feet and get back into society. It's not about us, it's about them," Lane said.
Lane said volunteers are needed to cook and serve food at the shelter and to spend time with those who stay at the shelter.
People who want to make monetary donations to the shelter can mail checks to Fellowship Missions P.O. Box 382, Winona Lake, IN 46590. To donate food, paper or hygiene products, or those who have questions, can call Lane at 574-371-6448.
For more information about Fellowship Missions, visit www.fellowshipmissions.net
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