I’ve lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan for a little over a year now, and I must say, it’s a pretty awesome place. Kalamazoo is home to several local festivals, cultural opportunities, recreational activities, and countless well-known bars.
Yes, Kalamazoo is prominent for a lot of things, including one thing that isn't so splendid: homelessness.
Homelessness can be situational or generational. Though circumstances may vary, the main reason people may experience homelessness is because they simply can’t find affordable housing and live at or below the poverty line.
Okay, I’m about to lay down some pretty depressing statistics.
A total of 47,839 people in Kalamazoo County lived in poverty between 2010- 2012. Of these, 63 percent were white (30,107 people), 24 percent were black (11,442 people), 6 percent were Hispanic (3,084 people), and 7 percent were other (3,206 people).
A total number of children in poverty had a total of 13,001. Of these, 44 percent were white (5,799 children), 38 percent were black (4,946 children), 9 percent were Hispanic (1,179 children), and 8 percent were other (1,077 children).
That’s a lot of numbers. Source.
The poverty line for a family of four is a little over $22,000. That barely meets the basic needs of food, housing, and utilities. This results in families and individuals having to sacrifice and choose between hunger, housing, and health care.
Luckily, there are shelters such as the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission that provides resources for families and individuals who live in poverty to help them get back on their feet. They take in people as they come with no requirements needed, other than being homeless.
The Kalamazoo Gospel Mission is a shelter for men, women, and children. What makes them unique is the emergency provisions, recovery services, and education/life skills that they provide. Programs include the men’s/women’s shelter, children’s ministry, long-term programs, Rescued Treasures, Rescued Wheels, and food service.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Maureen Best, the Director of Women and Family Ministry, who discussed the positive impact the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission has on those who live in poverty. They help residents search for jobs and housing, provide daycare services, as well as hold Bible study, life, and parenting classes.
Residents can stay for however long they need to, as long as they provide verification that they are trying to break their cycle of homelessness and poverty by being on a path of productivity by looking for jobs, housing, and learning the essential life skills needed to turn their life around.
The Gospel Mission has a total of 157 beds, plus a few extra, along with 50 mats. In the month of July, the total number of new adults who sought the Gospel Mission were 69: 204 adults were served and night lodging for a total of 2,866 adults was provided. A total of new children who sought the Mission were 66: 139 children were served and night lodging for a total of 1,864 children was provided. New families who sought the Mission were 27 and a total of 60 families were served. They provided 496 breakfasts, 726 lunches, and 931 dinners. The Mission took in an average total of 60 children per day, and the highest total for children was 91 on July 27.
When taking in residents, they try to find out their cause of homelessness, see what their needs are, and come up with a plan to give them a secure future once they leave. “Many people don’t realize that you have to pay your bills first and everything else comes second. Some just don’t make enough money. Others have mental health issues and can’t get the proper care that they need. We try to figure out the issues and work from there,” Best noted.
Best went on to describe how residents have to work for their spot at the Gospel Mission. “It is a privilege to our residents to be here; it is not owed to them. They have to work for their spot here. Residents are responsible for completing daily chores and attending life skills classes when they are not out applying for jobs and looking for housing,” she said.
The Kalamazoo Gospel Mission does see positive changes in their residents. Though they are different than what the rest of the world may see because they are looking at things from a completely different perspective, they really see residents who want to change. They’ll do what ever it takes and apply what they learn at the Gospel Mission in their life.
The Kalamazoo Gospel Mission has been helping impoverished people in Kalamazoo for 80 years, and continues to change the lives of others through the power of Christ. Want to learn more about the Mission, or become a volunteer? You can visit their website.
I’ve signed up to be a volunteer, and I can’t wait to begin giving back to my community by helping those who live poverty and/or are homelessness through the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission.
