Macomb County Warming Center needs help


Over the years, a Mount Clemens warming center has helped thousands of Macomb County residents in need. Now, they could use some help themselves.

After losing a massive amount of state and federal funding, the warming center opens in early November and operates out of a different church each week - but this year the homeless shelter is at risk of closing down.

The shelter serves anywhere from 80 to 100 people every night for six months. Shelter coordinators say in addition to keep people from freezing to death, they have to keep them safe.

"We have to have security and they have to stay the entire night, that is our biggest expense," said Kathy Goodrich, executive director.

And many of the people that warming center serves have special needs.

"At least 50 percent are mentally ill," she said, adding that the need increased when many mental institutions were closed in state cutbacks years ago.

The Macomb County Warming Center says it's dealing with a $52,000 shortfall.

"If everyone seeing this story threw a buck in the mail, we could survive," said Mark Henderson, shelter coordinator.

To make a donation or learn more go to warmingcenter.org