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GR homeless shelter experiences spike in senior women seeking emergency services

Degage Ministries

"It’s been tough,” Senior Program Director, Julie Kendrick said. “We are using every single inch of available space for overnight shelter. We are all too aware of the fact that, if we turn someone away, they will be sleeping in the cold, so we find more room. We buy more beds. We figure it out.”

Amid increasing rates of homelessness in West Michigan, a local shelter is seeing more senior women seeking emergency services than ever before.

When Degage Ministries expanded its downtown campus two years ago, its Open-Door Women’s Emergency shelter was serving an average of 33 women a night, with plans to increase capacity to 60 per night. But this year the group has seen a sharp increase in women seeking services, regularly accommodating around 100 women each night, a third of those individuals being over the age of 55.

Leaders said capacity has become an issue.

"It’s been tough,” Senior Program Director, Julie Kendrick said. “We are using every single inch of available space for overnight shelter. We are all too aware of the fact that, if we turn someone away, they will be sleeping in the cold, so we find more room. We buy more beds. We figure it out.”

Bunkbeds were part of the shelter's expansion efforts to serve more community members. Janice, a current guest in the shelter said, “The new shelter space is so comfortable, more private, and I sleep so much better.”

However, Degage Ministries added that the increase in seniors needing shelter creates a more diverse set of needs, whether that’s mobility aids or personal and hygiene care support. Dégagé’s Wellness Center will open within the next month, which will offer more support.

"The increase in seniors in emergency shelter means that we are tending to all the issues you would expect when serving people who are more physically fragile: a need for mobility aids, increased risk of falling, and more personal and hygiene care support,” Degage Ministries Executive Director, Thelma Ensink said. "Dégagé’ Wellness Center will be open within the next month, allowing them to offer more support for people with health issues. The Wellness Center will allow people to connect better with medical professionals and rest after surgery or illness, an important service especially for older guests.

Organization leaders believe the rise in homelessness is being fueled by a massive increase in evictions, pandemic-related mental health crises, and current economic conditions, among other things.

The Open-Door shelter program is reaching out for both financial donations as well as toiletry and personal care items.

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