The Home for the Night Shelter announced its closure in December due to the lack of funding and volunteers for the organization, but Center Township of Clinton County and Home for the Night staff have bound together with the aid of local businesses and the city to keep the operations going during the winter months.
Home for the Night announced that donation boxes will be available for the community to support the shelter at Frankfort Arni’s, Department of Child Services, The Main Event Bar & Grill, Winski Brothers and Plaza Mexicana. The shelter staff currently plans to maintain the availability of the shelter through February as the winter weather rolls into the county, and future years may see the shelter open November through February if funding and volunteers are available.
All funds raised through the donation boxes will be placed in the business account for the organization, and Home for the Night staff stated that the operations for the shelter through the winter months would likely cost around $38,000. The organization is also planning to utilize the United Way for Clinton County’s volunteer hub as much as possible, which could lower the projected cost as staffing will become less of an issue. According to Mayor Judy Sheets, staffing was one of the main causes for the decision to close the shelter’s doors, and donations from the community could offset some of those costs, which was confirmed by Center Township Trustee Jami Pratt.
“I think it’s sad that they were not able to keep it open, but it comes with a cost, and it’s not free,” Sheets said. “(Pratt) said, ‘we cannot get grants to cover labor.’ They can get grants to cover all these other things, but many times, they don’t want to cover the labor.”
Volunteer John Fickle is currently traveling around the Frankfort community with a donation box to collect donations from the community. Within an hour of the announcement for the donation boxes, Fickle raised $59 for the shelter with the help of the courthouse staff.
Pratt commented on the feedback received from the community upon the initial announcement of the shelter’s closure, stating that the team has worked diligently to keep the doors open and the services available for those in need in the community.
“You don’t get into this line of work unless you have compassion,” Pratt wrote. “Not to mention, everyone involved in the opening of this shelter and the day to day running knew nothing about running a shelter, but you know what? We still took on the challenge and researched, visited other local shelters and did our absolute best. That’s more than what most people can say.”
As a means of aiding the organization with its initial plan to transfer those staying at the shelter and utilizing the services it provides, the City of Frankfort pledged $10,000 to help with the project. The city has given two installments of $22,000 over the past two years since Home for the Night opened its doors toward the end of 2021, totaling $54,000 donated to the organization for operating costs. The city also sponsored two events for the organization with donations of $100 and $1,000 respectively.
Sheets stated that the approval of the funds is meant to help the organization maintain its operations during the winter months and transition toward closure if funds do not become available, but Sheets expressed her hope that the organization will be operational for the community well into the future.
“Center Township is paying for the facility out there and the utilities, and you get a lot of donations from the community as far as food and that type of thing, but if you have to have it staffed, you have to be able to pay that staff,” Sheets said. “It’s pretty significant what it costs to staff that for a year.”
Community members looking to donate to the cause can donate through the donation boxes, on Venmo at @homeforthenight or by visiting the organization’s donation website.