New Dawn Shelter leaders describe hands-on model and urge volunteers as county homelessness needs grow

Doug Lewis, co-director of New Dawn Shelter, presented the shelter’s mission and model to the county board, explaining why the organization has chosen a small, intensive approach to help people move from homelessness into stable housing.

Lewis said New Dawn Shelter was founded about 10 years ago to provide a 10–12 bed shelter serving Clare, Gladwin and Arenac counties. The program offers stays of up to 90 days combined with intensive case management, background checks and requirements that guests engage in services, including addiction help when needed. The shelter is faith-based and funded primarily by local donations, grants and support from churches and community groups; staff are volunteers.

“We wanted to be a shelter where people would be able to stay up to 90 days, but during that time we would do some pretty intensive case management with them,” Lewis said. He described screening processes that include criminal-background checks, random room checks and random drug testing; guests who fail safety rules may be asked to leave.

Lewis said New Dawn handled roughly 70 people last year across its service area and estimated about one-third of those were from Clare County; he noted the number of inquiries runs roughly 750 per year and many requests originate from outside the shelter’s service area. He and partners described collaboration with MidMichigan Community Action Agency, community mental-health providers, DHS for benefit access, and local courts when appropriate.

The shelter’s leaders stressed volunteer needs: they reported a decline from about 24 volunteers pre-2020 to roughly 12 now, and asked commissioners to help publicize volunteer opportunities, donate goods (cleaning supplies, paper products) or support fundraising events such as an August golf outing and a fall 5K.

Why it matters: small, locally run shelters provide immediate crisis housing and case management but rely on sustained community volunteerism and donations; volunteer shortages constrain capacity even as housing availability remains limited.

Next steps: shelter leaders will distribute brochures and needs lists to county staff; commissioners were invited to visit and to share volunteer information with their constituents.