MARINETTE – For over 20 years, Dorothy’s Haven of Hope Homeless Shelter has been providing more than just a safe place to spend the night — instead creating a pathway to develop skills backed by a long-lasting support system.
The shelter was purchased by Dorothy Demarce in 1996 and opened after 10 years of careful planning. Today, Demarce’s daughter Jacquelyn Adderley continues to serve the homeless population.
“We want to give them a real opportunity to rebuild their lives,” Adderley explained.
However, financial impacts have made the execution of this goal even more difficult.
Adderly said that following the COVID-19 pandemic, many of their previous fundraising efforts were no longer as successful. The situation was compounded by the loss of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant.
One way that the shelter has adapted to these changes is through their bed sponsorship program, which asks businesses and organizations to collaborate in donation efforts to meet milestones of $1,250.
“It takes $1,250 to sponsor a bed for one individual for a full year in our shelter if they’re there the whole time. That’s basically just the necessities like food, a bed and electricity,” Adderly shared.
This campaign aims to raise $25,000 to continue their ongoing services.
One thing that these donations do not go towards are staff salaries as all of the individuals supporting the homeless shelter are volunteers.
When the basic necessities are taken care of, the volunteers and clients can put their energy towards planning for the future.
“Right now, we’re trying to expand our services to help the people in our shelter so they’re not staying with us for a year or two years or three years because this has happened,” Adderly said.
She explained that many individuals stay at Dorothy’s longer than intended because of difficulties securing a rental, leaving them with no verifiable rental history.
Upon seeing this situation, those running the shelter expanded their efforts to purchase a duplex. This gives individuals an opportunity to build rental history over a set period of time while searching for their own accommodations.
Adderly explained, “We’re trying to help these individuals that are staying with us so that they can become a part of society.”
By offering the opportunity to rent their duplex, the volunteers can also continue offering impactful services.
The revamped plan from the shelter’s board of directors includes the implementation of a four-phase program modeled after sober living homes.
Each phase builds off of a zero-tolerance expectation and provides more freedom as expectations are met and rent is paid.
“We work with them to figure out what they really need [because] it might just be getting back to being healthy before they can even get that job. So, it’s not that we’re pushing people to get a job and get out of our shelter — it’s that we’re working with them to be able to work their job, then move out and learn how to save money at the same time,” she said.
This allows Dorothy’s Haven of Hope to strengthen the entire community, even checking in on former residents and inviting them back for holiday meals.
Community is key for Adderly, noting “I thank our community, because if it wasn’t for them… I don’t know if our doors would have been open all this time.”
In return, the shelter emphasizes giving back. Residents have helped neighbors with everything from loading moving trucks to shoveling and salting the nearby apartments after the recent snow storm.
Continuing this relationship is important as ever, with resources like Ruby’s Pantry and NEWCAP closing or preparing to close their operations.
“We have people in our duplex right now that are on a fixed income and we don’t want to be their only stepping stone,” Adderly said.
She went on to thank the St. Joseph Conference and other churches and organizations that have helped them through these unpredictable times.
Adderly noted that when running a homeless shelter “there’s always a financial strain somewhere down the line,” such as saving for emergencies or making a large purchase like installing siding to save money later. However, the loss of funds they previously relied on has left Adderly and the board “making some hard choices right now on what we’re going to do because our shelter really does help the community.”
To learn more about volunteer opportunities, the bed sponsorship program and the mission of Dorothy’s Haven of Hope Homeless Shelter, visit www.dorothyshoh.com/, call (715) 735-3684 or follow the shelter on Facebook. Dorothy’s Haven of Hope is located at 603 Mann St., Marinette.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here