After years of searching, fundraising and hoping, the Hope Awaits Ministry is a step closer to its vision for a homeless men’s shelter.
Hope Awaits has finally found its home.
The group has purchased a house on First Avenue, and will take possession in May.
Hope Awaits Executive Director Nicole Millage is understandably thrilled.
“It is kind of unreal to have this building now after all the work we put in to preparing and raising the money and now it’s finally here. We’re finally getting started and we’re very excited.”
The process has not been easy.
Hope Awaits started virtually with nothing, and even after money had been raised to support the project, it took a long time to find the right place for its vision.
Millage says now that the purchase is complete, the next step is renovations and hiring.
“We have to put up a few walls, make the kitchen bigger, paint and stuff like that. During that process we’ll be looking for and hiring staff and getting volunteers in. Then we’ll open up.”
Staff will not live in the building, which will be set up for four residents to start.
Millage says initially, she is looking for workers who can multi-task.
“We’re not hiring workers to do specifics. The workers that are there are going to do everything that is involved in the shelter. We’re not going to hire a cook or someone just to run programs. Because we’re just starting up they’re going to have to do pretty much everything there.
‘"It’s a big job but I am sure we can find people.”
The four residents, all men, will have their own rooms to stay in overnight.
Millage says during the day, it’s expected they will either participate in the house, or in the community.
“We don’t just want people to sit in their rooms all day and do nothing. We really want to help them get out and get the skills that they need and get the help that they need, whatever that is, in order to get them living independently again.”
“So a minimum of 14 days and if they’re willing to work on their skills or whatever they need, they can stay for longer, but it will be determined case by case as to how long their stay will be.”
The plan is to increase from four residents to ten once the house gets better established.
Millage says she’s not sure when the grand opening will be, as there is still a lot of work to prepare the house for its new residents.
But the hope for Hope Awaits is to be open sometime this summer.
