Who Are The People We Serve?

What Do They Achieve?

Last year 62 homeless and financially destitute men and women came to live with us.
They stayed with us for more than 3,000 days of shelter and personal mentoring, and
enjoyed over 9,000 meals. The average guest stayed with us 50 days.
Half our guests were white and half were African American. One-third did not have a
High School diploma or GED. For over 80% of our guests this was not their first time
homeless.
The top three reasons our guests were homeless last year: addiction, domestic violence,
and inadequate income for housing. Young people classified as “troubled youth” were the
fourth most common group. The economy has made it very tough to find work, but 61%
of our guests were employed at the end of their stays. Nearly 40% moved into stable
housing after our shelter program.
In our Residence Community we now serve 36 low-wage workers who are not able to
afford or access market-rate housing. One unit is being renovated by Thrivent Financial
volunteers. All the rest of the apartments and studios are full. At our last fellowship
banquet, 40 people from our programs gathered for great food and fellowship.
 Community Letter — May 2009
Open Door & Next Door Shelters
PO Box 50102 Kalamazoo, MI 49005-0102

Community Letter for May 2009

NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
Kalamazoo, MI
Permit No.1174
Five Members Join Board of Directors
We welcome new board members John Erbach, Sonja Leiter, Blaire Martin, Prudence
McCabe, and Beverly Murray. These new leaders come from the ranks of our volunteers,
program participants, supporting churches, and allied organizations. They are dedicated
to our mission and committed to the people we serve.
Current board officers are Matt Lager, President; Mike Parkinson Kilbourne, Vice-
President; Matthew Yokom, Treasurer; and Jane Givens, Secretary. Continuing board
members are JoVaughan Head, Jari Pulford, Earlene Smith, Ineke Way, and Marty
McKenna.
Local Groups Provide Meals
For Our Monthly Banquets
The following groups provided wonderful meals for one of our monthly fellowship
banquets.
Rasa Ria: Malaysian and Indonesian Cuisine
Trinity Lutheran Church
St. Timothy Episcopal Church Youth Group
Marian Barnes and friends
Mike Childress and John Paul Smith
Esther Bolden, Mike Bova, JD Permenter, Earlene Smith, Blaire
Martin, & Tina Marie Chapin.
For the next three months the banquets will be provided by our Board of Directors, the
staff of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan, and members of Fourth Reformed
Church in Oshtemo.
The planning committee is trying to line up groups for banquets beginning in August. If
you know a group that would like to offer a banquet for the people in our programs
(about 40 people), please call planning committee member Blaire at (269) 267-6015.
IN MEMORIAM
We gratefully acknowledge gifts in memory of
Barbara (Stoepker) Cripe — Judy DeBres, Wallace & Dorothy Stoepker
 Robert Denison — Barbara & Gene Clysdale
Helen Sheehan Duffy — Joe & Holly Duffy Walls
Harriett Dykstra — Jacqueline Bartley, Julie DeJonge, Natalie Dykstra, Ellen Dykstra,
Lois Dykstra, Sabina Dykstra, Janis Gibbs, Lezlie Gruenler, Jean Nelis, Jeanne Petit,
Ruth Stravers, Rick Stravers, Ione Trap, and Lannette Zylman-TenHave
Evan Ebling—Moyra Ebling
Jeanne Maltby Fahrenbach, a gardener
Carl Fahrenbach
John Grabber — Maribeth Heiserman, David & Mary Jensen & Family, Susan Merigan,
Mary L. Tyler, Lawrence & Marsha Ulmer, John & Nancy Wilks
Harry Parker Heighton — Bob & Marj Hirsch
Lydia Circle Members Bertha Howard & Betsy Curindo—Charles & Angelia Wilson
Roon Visser—Pete & Jane Givens, Ineke Way
Third Christian Reformed Church Blesses Us With Mission
“STAY”
Instead of going on a mission trip this year, Third Church stayed in Kalamazoo and
helped us provide housing for homeless young men and women and working people
priced out of housing. For five days in April more than 30 volunteers worked hard each
day on a host of projects to improve our buildings. The crew gutted one apartment and
then rebuilt and furnished it. The apartment is so beautiful now it could be in a bed and
breakfast.
Young people and adult volunteers without experience worked alongside people
skilled in the building trades. They replaced a water heater and a basement stairway,
removed a broken retaining wall and built a new one, tore down a dilapidated
outbuilding, improved drainage, removed unusable items from the basements of all 10 of
our buildings, built a porch roof and two roofs over doorways, and more.
The group also warmly included our staff and residents in daily morning and evening
gatherings and meals. It was a stunning week for us, a week of tremendous
accomplishment — one we will always remember.
Call for Art, Crafts, & Services to Sell in Silent Auction at Annual
Celebration Oct. 4
One of the highlights of our annual Celebration of Partnership is the silent auction. In
the past, our supporters have donated artwork including framed photos, quilted and
knitted items, and jewelry. Others donate services including hair styling and carpet
cleaning. Some supporters recruit donations from hotels, restaurants, artists, and local
businesses.
Each year the silent auction raises about $4,000. This year we need this budget boost
more than ever. Your help will be much appreciated. For more information please contact
Jari Pulford at 269-731-4258.
Can you help by donating something?
IN HONOR
We gratefully acknowledge gifts in honor of
Ron & Shirley Bush - Robert & Helen Montgomery
Jane Givens—Marcia Cowell
Timothy Liggett—Angela Imbordino
 Helen Montgomery-Thomas & Colleen Montgomery
Mary Perrin, Joe Neiman, & Rick Stravers
Kay & Bill Hanson
Olga Visser for her long-term commitment to meeting human needs—Ineke Way
Ineke Way’s Birthday — Olga Visser
Maggie Morean White—Mike & Jari Pulford
Sharing God’s love through shelter for the body, community for the spirit, and structure to
achieve stability.
HomeAid Michigan, a charity of the Michigan Homebuilders Association, is repairing
and improving our Academy Street building. Local builder Dan Scheffers of VanDam and
Kruisinga Building and Restoration is coordinating the project. Vandermay Construction
has completed the first step of the plan: repairing problems with the brick exterior of the
building.
The plans also call for replacing the front door, adding an intercom and buzzer system,
and replacing all hallway carpets. Additional
Five Churches Create Affordable Housing
Last fall Trinity Lutheran Church gave us a wonderful building with 4 one-bedroom
apartments. Four congregations adopted and prepared each apartment last winter:
Calvary Reformed, Mattawan; St. Catherine of Siena, Portage; Fourth Reformed,
Oshtemo; and First Presbyterian, Kalamazoo.
These groups cleaned, painted, repaired various items, and then furnished the
apartments. All the apartments are now in use. When one resident moved into his
apartment he said to our staff: “I can’t believe people would do this for someone else.”
Effort to Reduce Energy Costs
Saves $14,000 in Five Months
Last fall, Jim Root of Living Water led an effort to reduce our energy use. From
November through April we saved $14,226 at our 10 buildings compared to the same
period last year. This amounts to a savings of 38%, even though this winter was colder
than last.
The cost savings have come from a variety of energy conservation improvements and
from taking advantage of cost reductions offered to homeless shelters.
Jim will continue to work with us on facility projects for about 5 hours per week.
Volunteer Coordinator Added to Staff
For many months Tina Marie Chapin worked for us three days a week or more as a
volunteer. She helped four churches get our new Pearl Street building ready for residents.
Tina Marie has lots of construction knowledge and experience. Her husband, Dan, has
also given generously of his time for maintenance projects.
This spring we were happy to be able to offer Tina Marie a part-time position. Last
month Tina Marie worked with leaders from Third Christian Reformed Church to
coordinate their exciting week-long mission “stay” with us. Tina Marie is a great
addition to our staff. To volunteer, please call her at 343-6064.
HomeAid MI Starts Critical Improvements at our Academy
Street Building
improvements are still being studied. Costs so far have been paid by a grant from an
anonymous donor and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. This beautiful old
building offers good housing to 18 low-wage workers.