The public’s generosity has, once again, come to the rescue in Chardon, helping to bring to fruition a homeless shelter for women.
The public’s generosity has, once again, come to the rescue in Chardon, helping to bring to fruition a homeless shelter for women.
Geauga Faith Rescue Mission — a faith-based, transitional housing program for homeless men and women — recently announced it has received more than $95,000 from various donors to purchase and renovate the property at 341 Washington Street for the shelter.
A private foundation donated $80,000, which allowed GFRM to put a down payment on the mortgage, the organization said in a March 25 press release, adding it also received $10,000 from a local church and $5,000 from community members.
The shelter will be able to house up to four women, Executive Director Nathan Long previously said at a Chardon Planning Commission meeting.
GFRM intends to begin housing women in 2026, the press release said.
This is not the mission’s first time handling large donations — an anonymous donor last October gifted the organization $104,000, allowing them to pay off the mortgage for their men’s shelter.
The private foundation wanted people to know the donation was for the glory of God, Long said in a followup interview March 31.
The private foundation came to hear about the mission through volunteers at the men’s shelter actively involved in GFRM’s Bible study program, he said.
“That they heard (the men’s) testimonies of what it meant to them to be a part of the men’s shelter is what inspired them to really wanna make sure that the women’s shelter was able to get up and running,” he said.
There has been a lot of positive reinforcement from the community and GFRM is excited to continue to provide this service, he said.
“We were so pleased. We decided last year to go ahead and move forward with the women’s mission and didn’t know how we were going to do it, but we trusted that the resources would be provided if it was what God wanted us to be doing,” GFRM Board President Mary Owen said in a March 31 interview. “And every step of the way, He’s been faithful, He’s come through.”
The Chardon mission has been one miracle after another, she said.
Renovations will include modifications to fit city requirements for an occupancy permit, Long said.
The organization is also looking at expanding the shelter in the form of a second floor, which would allow for more bedrooms and give the women more space, he added.
Summer fundraising will enable the mission to hire necessary staff, according to the press release.
This will include a June golf-outing and October dinner, as well as mailers sent to the community, Long added.
Currently, the mission is looking to hire one part-time staff member for case management and a live-in house monitor, he said.
The mission has no aspirations to grow beyond Geauga’s needs, he added.
“We just want to be able to meet the need that’s in Geauga County for single women that are homeless,” Long said. “As of right now, any kind of expansion or growth, we’ll just assess by the need that continues.”
The county has a homeless population of around 41, some sheltered and some unsheltered, Long said.
However, GFRM receives calls once or twice per month from women in Geauga, he said.
“We anticipate to be full very quickly,” he said. “With the men’s shelter — we’re emptying beds, probably a couple this month, people transitioning out — we’ve already got people that are in need of shelter right now.”
The men’s shelter has provided over 4,000 nights of food and shelter since December 2022, the press release said.
People arriving at the shelter are often overwhelmed. They rest for a week before conversations begin about their needs, Owen said, adding once needs are identified, the shelter works to connect them with partner organizations for assistance.
“Oftentimes, they don’t have a lot of connections or relationships, so they’re struggling with that, so we try to fill that gap,” she said. “(We) try to help them establish a network that they can then rely on to help them live sustainably.”
GFRM sets a timeline, as the shelter is not meant to be a permanent dwelling, Owen said, adding, however, it does offer residents a sense of hope and a chance to pray and take part in Bible study.
“We take off the burden of them having to worry about where they’re going to sleep and what they’re going to eat,” Long said. “Then they can start reflecting on the circumstances in their life that led them to be where they’re at and what they need to change or what they need to do to get out of those circumstances.”
GFRM provides residents with case management and utilizes existing county services to help them live what Long described as “an abundant life.”
“Living life that is one glorifying God by their actions and that they find joy and fulfillment in,” he said.
As GFRM is partner-based, Owen encouraged anyone who wants to help to reach out. Information about GFRM’s charity events can be found at www.gfrmission.org or by calling GFRM at 440-214-9916.
