We are a rotating emergency shelter team hosting our "guests" (homeless) in churches located throughout Macomb County.  We shelter men, women and children.

Mentioned in the United States of America Congressional Record for our humanitarian cause; we have grown from providing 3,500 shelter nights in 1999 to over 19,000 shelter nights in 2008.  The need has grown and we need to continue growing with the need.  We celebrated our 20th anniversary in 2008.

History

Mission and Goals

Programs, Activities, Accomplishments

Church Memberships

What Happens at MCREST ('pdf' file)

MCREST Brochure ('pdf' file)

HISTORY

Until 1988, many of the homeless from Macomb County were forced to go to Oakland County for shelter due to the lack of sufficient number of overnight shelter beds in our County.  At that time, the Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team (MCREST) was formed as a coalition of Churches willing to shelter the homeless in their buildings.  This coalition of Churches began to provide overnight shelter for homeless persons and/or families during the coldest winter months.  During the first year, twenty-three Churches participated in the program and provided for only the very basic needs of the homeless during the most severe weather.

MCREST is unique in that the homeless are actually sheltered in each participating Church, not a permanent shelter building.  Linens, beds, and other needed equipment and supplies are provided by the organization and are actually transferred each week from Church to Church by the Churches.

Our Program Information Specialist continually strives to recruit additional participating Churches.  For the 2008 year, we provided shelter for all 52 weeks with 83 Churches actually housing the homeless, with two Churches running concurrently for 32 weeks during the season.  Many Churches that house the homeless have other local Churches help with food, transportation and overnight help during their week.  During the coldest and hottest months of the year, up to 60 men, women and children of all ages are sheltered every evening.

We have been honored to have a tribute to MCREST published in the Congressional Record of the United States of America to celebrate our tenth anniversary and celebrated our 20th anniversary in 2008.

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MISSION AND GOALS

MCREST was founded to provide temporary shelter for the homeless in Macomb County who agree to remain alcohol and drug free during their time in the program.  Participating Churches agree to open their facilities and their hearts to the homeless for a period of one week per year and provide a safe, clean environment from 6:00 p.m. each evening to 8:00 a.m. each morning.  They further agree to provide: three meals per day, showers, and, when possible, laundry assistance and transportation, especially for those who are working. MCREST works with other service organizations in attempting to enable guests to plan for and implement permanent solutions to their situation.

While our dream is to no longer be needed because every person has a home, our experience over the years has taught us that the homeless will be with us for a long time to come.  Our goals, therefore, are to be able to provide shelter throughout the year and to provide as many beds as needed for the homeless in Macomb County.  Although we provide shelter for up to 60 persons almost every night, we are usually full and must turn people away.  In May of 1998 MCREST moved into its own building at 145 Colonial Court, Mount Clemens, MI.  During our strategic planning process, it was apparent that we had outgrown our building and in April of 2005, we moved into larger quarters.  We have one full-time Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper, three full-time and one part-time Case Workers, a Program Information Specialist, two-part time Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Data Clerks, an Executive Director and an Associate Director.  The Choose A Path (CAP) program is a 90-day program for up to ten participants who work with our CAP Case Worker to set goals and reach outcomes towards self-sufficiency.  Measurable outcomes for this program reached 25% for those who obtained a form of housing.  The norm is 15% for an emergency shelter.

Donations have assisted MCREST in developing new programs to assist guests with overcoming the barriers they face. One such program is our Recovery Program.  This recovery/coaching support is for anyone with any type of addictive behavior.

Objectives for Fiscal Year Beginning January 1, 2009

1. To help the growing number of people who are losing jobs and their houses in Michigan and as a result, becoming homeless.
2. To continue to plan, implement, assess and adapt to better serve those persons who are homeless and are in need. Mentoring clients will be one area we explore to assist clients in self-evaluation and goal setting to assist in the reduction of chronic homelessness.
3. Purchase a building to house a safe haven, provide a multi service access center with a community outreach center, laundry and shower facilities with a commercial kitchen for job training and feeding the residents.  Fourteen agencies will provide services to the homeless including a health and dental clinic. 

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PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

During 52 weeks of shelter for the year 2008, MCREST provided up to 60 shelter beds per night for homeless persons for a total of over 19,000 shelter nights.  Each “guest" in the program is screened for alcohol use before admittance into the shelter Church each evening and compliance with requests for drug testing is mandatory for participation in the program.

A member of the MCREST Board of Directors acts as a liaison to new Churches providing advice and support to that Church as they plan, prepare, and execute their week as a MCREST shelter.  The MCREST office and the Board of Directors provide each Church with a training manual and certification to provide consistency with rules and regulations for safety and to provide an easy flow from one church to the next for the guests.  Church volunteers are certified after receiving training in search activities.

All participating Churches provide basic hygiene, food, and shelter needs.  Some Churches go far beyond the basic needs and provide transportation to work and appointments, on site laundry services, assistance with rent and security deposits, assistance in locating possible employment, and much more.  In addition, the volunteers at each Church are there to support and listen to someone in need.

The program also provides, in a joint effort with Downriver Community Services, medical care, mental health and substance abuse counseling to shelter guests. In a joint effort with the Macomb Intermediate School District Homeless Education Project, consistent schooling for the children of homeless families sheltered in the program is a priority.  The Salvation Army is a fiduciary for funds from the State of Michigan which contracts with MCREST to reimburse us for some of the direct expenses of the program and MCREST has received funding support from various communities and corporations throughout the County through the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the Detroit Lions, Four Corners Foundation, Community Foundation for SE Michigan Chrysler Sterling Heights Plant, General Motors and MSHDA as well as support from the Macomb Homeless Coalition.

Various community organizations, such as Sandy LaBaere and the Utica Community School Empty Bowls dinner had been a great financial support to MCREST by their annual fundraisers.  The MCREST organization sells sweatshirts, T-shirts, fashion house-pins, lapel pins, held our Second Annual Silent Auction and our Second Annual Photo Rally to raise funds for MCREST. An annual golf outing hosted by the fundraising committee, had been held for twelve years and Churches in Macomb County donate funds to MCREST throughout the year.  In 2007, we hosted our Second Annual Mardi Gras party and in 2009 we will host our Second Annual Spring Fling Dinner Dance.

In 1995, MCREST published a detailed program manual, which provides instructions for setting up and operating the shelter program in a Church facility. The manual is updated each year and describes the health services provided through Downriver Community Services and the screening provided by our employees.  In addition to the manual, we have produced videos that are available for the churches.  MCREST also publishes newsletters to keep the participating Churches and local human service providers informed of our current activities.

Accomplishments for Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2008

1. Provided over 19,000 shelter nights.
2. Completed development of a five year strategic plan.
3. Completed the sixth year for the Choose A Path (CAP) program which had a 25% success rate for persons leaving our program and moving into some form of housing.

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CHURCH MEMBERSHIPS

MCREST membership consists of participating churches. MCREST is administrated by a volunteer Board of Directors consisting of up to fifteen members elected at the annual meeting by representatives of participating Churches, the community and the homeless.  Members of the Board are elected for a three-year term.  The Board of Directors elects the officers of the Executive Committee annually at their June meeting.  In 1997, MCREST had its first annual audit and has received an unqualified opinion for 1996 and every year through 2007.
 
During each week of sheltering, members of the current participating Church provide the volunteer help to transport items from the previous church, set up, administer, operate, supply, and close down.  The number of volunteers at each Church range from 50 to over 500, depending on the size of the Church's congregation and their resources.  Last season over 10,000 volunteers provided 76,000 hours of service valued at $784,000, over $400,000 in tangibles and the MCREST volunteer board members provided over 2,600 hours of service valued at $26,000.  While MCREST relies on donations and grants to continue operations, fundraising activities must continue to expand in order to rise above the lower amount of funding from communities due to the current economic downturn.

In 2004, the Macomb Homeless Coalition formed a task force to develop a 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness.  Out of this plan came the strategic initiative to build a multi-purpose building or one-stop shop.  MCREST has been designated as the lead agency to provide this building which will house a safe haven.  This safe haven will house 25 men who could be dual-diagnosed.  This building will also be an outreach center for the community who are homeless or in crisis.  On site will be several service agencies that will help expedite solutions and guidance with support for these clients.  We will have a medical clinic as well as a dental clinic, laundry facilities and showers. 

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