The Guesthouse Shelter in Midland is looking to move up.

Once in the basement of Knox Presbyterian Church, the shelter acquired a former education wing on the second floor of the church. Guesthouse is now raising $1 million to help build the new facility, and they’re already at half their goal.

Today, July 2, 2013, Guesthouse launched its public fundraising campaign.

It’s an effort to provide emergency shelter year-round instead of just in the colder months.

“Everyone needs food and shelter and many don’t have it on any sort of stable basis,” says Guesthouse board of directors vice president Robert Sykes.

People who use the shelter have to leave every morning at 8 a.m. Volunteers give them a place to sleep at night, in the winter. But that’s changing.

“We've been doing this for about 10 years on a seasonal basis,” Sykes says. “But we've really recognized it's not a seasonal issue. There are just as many people and the need is just as great whether, it's cold or hot.”

Guesthouse is staffed by volunteers from mid-November to mid-April. It takes about 450 people, and they’ll have to recruit almost 100 more to keep it open year-round.

An average of about 10 people use the shelter, and most of them are homeless, or at risk of being homeless. Sykes says so far they have managed to help everyone who has come by.

Big changes coming

The new space will be a change for the shelter; it will move from the basement of the church to a bright, airy space on the second floor. The space will be bigger; there will be a lounge area, a large dining room that can hold 50 people, a computer lab, and a drop-in centre. There will be a warming centre and a cooling centre, and separate washrooms for men and women. It will be able to host 22 people overnight. And instead of one large, communal sleeping area, multiple rooms will be hold about six people each.

There’s a hope, too, the shelter will act as a community hub for the homeless, with a space for a community health centre examination room.

“When you see the existing conditions and what has been proposed, I’m just amazed they are living under the conditions they are now,” says fundraising volunteer Evelyn Boudreau. “I think the new facility will add dignity, warmth and camaraderie to anyone who needs these facilities.”

The new space will make it possible for the shelter program to run 24-hours a day, seven days a week, all year. As of today, the Guesthouse is looking to the public for financial support. And people see a need for this kind of program.

“Even in the summer time when it's hot, people need a place to go where they can have a drink of water and sit and rest and know that they have got people who are willing to help them get better, “ says Grace Marchant, who lives next door to the church. “We all need help. We never know when we’re going to need it.”

As of November, the Guesthouse has served more than 330 different people. The shelter is hoping local businesses will contribute their support. There are several events planned, including a family walk in August and people can register online.

Sykes says he hopes construction will start later this summer, and should be finished in about three months.