GOODWILL INN FULL: Wanted: Tents, sleeping bags

Jul. 15—TRAVERSE CITY — A group of local nonprofits is asking for donations to help the homeless secure sleeping bags and tents for the remainder of the summer.

"We are about to run out of tents and sleeping bags," Community Engagement Officer for Goodwill Northern Michigan Ryan Hannon said in a release Thursday. "We need new tents and new sleeping bags or warm, clean used sleeping bags to meet the ongoing need.

"Without enough shelter in the spring, summer, and early fall, people need some basic supplies while trying to survive the journey out of homelessness and into a place to live."

During the summer, there is one shelter available in Grand Traverse County, the Goodwill Inn.

But all 120 of their beds are currently full, Hannon said.

As a result, many people camp out in an area behind South Division Street, commonly referred to as "The Pines."

Safe Harbor Shelter is open seasonally through the late fall and winter months, but will not open until Oct. 15, he said.

During their 2021-2022 season, Safe Harbor officials estimated they had an average of 58 people stay with them each night; a total of just under 10,000 stays during the season.

"As long as there is not enough housing for everyone, this need will exist. While we are encouraged with the potential of increased housing in the region, the pace still hasn't matched the demand," said Ashley Halladay-Schmandt, director of the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness, in a statement.

Homelessness can lead to people's lives being cut short, Hannon noted.

He previously told the Record-Eagle that six people who had no place of residence died this past year and four more people who had been homeless died after they found housing. Homelessness can often exacerbate pre-existing medical conditions, including heart disease and cancer, Hannon said.

Earlier this summer, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that $50 million will fund the state's Housing and Community Development Program as a way to help address the issue.

According to National Alliance to End Homelessness' research, between Antrim, Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties, there are about 13 people, for every 10,000 in the general population, who experience homelessness.

In the Grand Traverse region, an estimated 260 people are homeless, according to data collected by the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness.

Both Hannon and Halladay-Scmandt's organizations are part of a larger network of homeless advocacy organizations called the Basic Needs Coalition.

The goal of the coalition is to provide essentials for people without houses; that includes clothing, food, mail, laundry, electricity, showers and indoor beds during the winter.

This larger coalition is made up of: Addiction Treatment Services, Central United Methodist Church, Father Fred Foundation, Goodwill Northern Michigan, Harm Reduction MI, Jubilee House at Grace Episcopal Church, Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency, Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse, St Vincent de Paul, Thomas Judd Care Center, Traverse City Salvation Army, 5 Loaves 2 Fishes and the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness.

New sleeping bags and tents can be dropped off at the Goodwill Northern Michigan donation door at 2279 South Airport Road in Traverse City.

In addition, a Basic Need Coalition Amazon wishlist is available at https://amzn.to/3KqhPVb.