It’s amazing what can happen when people come together, especially when they show up with paints, brushes and a real desire to work.

“I am so grateful for Shepherd’s Gate,” said program manager Marcie Burt. Macomb County Winter Shelter He’s referring to the congregation at Trinity Lutheran Church in Shelby Township, which has assembled a team of volunteers to help the shelter prepare for its opening season.

“They paint every day and the best part is they want to be here,” Burt said. “When they’re exhausted at the end of the day and head for the door, they’re still here talking about how much fun they had.”

“We’re averaging about 10 people a day,” said Scott Cote, who traveled from Lexington, accompanied by his wife, Beth Anne, to join a group of parishioners painting the sanctuary’s great hall and reception room.

Now, instead of gloomy gray walls, guests will be greeted by bright white walls and a blue wave.

“Our goal is to have everything ready by Dec. 29,” said Tim Joy, program director for the new center and among those working to develop a sustainable alternative to replace the Macomb County Warming Center.

Kathy Goodrich’s death spelled the end of the Macomb County Warming Center. Several attempts were made to reopen the shelter; but they were unsuccessful and by 2020 the doors were closed.

Goodrich was the heart of the nonprofit and its sanctuary.

As its founder and chief executive, he was a driving force who never gave up on the individuals he served or the philanthropic community that supported his work. Each fall, he would compile a schedule of churches offering to host the center during the winter months, spending hours visiting pastors or knocking on church doors until he had enough churches to fill the winter staff.

He will be very happy to know that a new shelter will be built this winter.

“We’re trying to carry on his legacy,” Joy said of Goodrich.

But things have changed since the Covid-19 outbreak.

Now, instead of a rotating shelter where homeless people travel to host churches throughout the county, Joy has been meeting since April to work with a group of churches and individuals, including retired pastor Lew Stier, to try to establish a permanent shelter in Trinity. Also collaborating on the project is the WAVE Project, known for its mobile showers and fabric van.

“Once the news got out about what we were doing, it grew exponentially,” Joy said. “We are determined to make this happen.”

If all goes as planned and donations continue, the program will provide shelter and food to 100 people during the coldest winter months, but no one will likely be turned away.

“We won’t have a capacity,” Joy said. “If we have to set up a cot in the hallway, so be it.”

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There are a dozen churches that have offered to serve as hosts at the Warming Center but could always use more.

A separate company will undertake the security of the shelter.

Churches that volunteer to host for the week will be responsible for dinner and a ready-made breakfast the next morning. Volunteers can also provide assistance with food and laundry services, or acts of kindness that can make all the difference in the world to someone shambling on the streets.

“When we’re not filling a plate with food or making a bed, we’ll be engaging in conversations that bring love and hope,” Joy said.

To learn more or donate, visit waveproject.org/macomb-county-winter-shelter.html

First Publication Date: November 1, 2024 07:31 EDT