LANSING, Mich. — The latest numbers from the National Alliance to End Homelessness found that more than 500 people in Lansing may be homeless on a given night.
The city rescue mission has been there in a time of need for more than 100 years.
The non-profit and christian organizations serves the community with three things in mind food, shelter, and hope.
"We're actually the largest shelter in mid-Michigan and we've been meeting needs in the community in Michigan's capitol area since 1911," said executive director Mark Chriss.
He says with them helping bout 2,000 people a year.
"Over the past, say four years, we've gone from about 133 men, women and children that we shelter and feed to over 250 men, women and kids each night," Chriss said.
City Rescue Mission has different locations spread out through the area.
"We have a women's and children's shelter and south cedar street. We have a men's shelter on Michigan avenue. We also have a new drop and center on north large street," he said.
It's a place where people can get resources. They not only offer a place to stay they also offer support, personal items and food.
"We actually provide a bout 125,000 meals a year on donations. And so we also dependent on donations, financial donations, food donations and volunteers," Chriss said.
Laura Grimwood is the senior director of community engagement. She says being able to help people get on their feet feels great.
"We want to do is we want to say are helping you and so that, you know, we don't see you again, as a guest, hopefully we see you again, someone that community maybe volunteering," she says.
Because of stereotypes some people may on the fence about going to a shelter. But city rescue mission is a place that is clean and safe.
"You can imagine if you're a mom or you're single adult woman and you have nowhere to stay you've never been homeless before you don't know where to go," Chriss said. "You can come to the city rescue mission Lansing, which provides a great quality safe place to be able to stay."
Chriss says when you think of someone who is homeless people also typically think of the stereotypes surrounding it.
"Most people think that the only people that are homeless are people with addictions, to drugs and alcohol, even though that's what percentage is very minority is a very small percentage," he said.
But 80% of people are people like you and me.
"Their hard-working people. And maybe they're down on their luck. So maybe their car broke down. They couldn't get to work. They lost their job to pay their rent," Chriss said.
But no matter you're situation or religion, the folks at City Rescue Mission of Lansing want people to know that they are here to help and the door open to the entire community.
"We serve anybody, so I don't care about you know, sexual orientation or identity or even your religious belief. I don't care if you're Atheist or Muslim, we want you to come, and we're going to love you and take care of you and keep you safe," Chriss said.
For more information on City Rescue Mission of Lansing, click here.
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