“Open Arms,” the weekend homeless shelter being organized to address the growing problem of homeless in St. Joseph County, is scheduled to open Friday (November 6th) at the First United Methodist Church in Three Rivers.

The shelter for men, women and families is aimed at filling a gap in the support services and bringing some relief from an overwhelming demand that is beyond what KeyStone Place, the county’s homeless shelter in Centreville, can handle.

According to Jon Ritter, a Colon resident who is one of the organizers of the Open Arms program, the church has a room that can provide sleeping space for 32 people with access to a kitchenette and bathrooms.

Ritter said, “We’re not trying to give these people a handout.  We’re trying to help them with a hand up.  We’re trying to get them to the point where KeyStone can help them go through the process, find a job, eventually get back on their feet and do something for themselves.

Ritter said the task force organizing the weekend shelter is seeking help in “three different areas” – volunteers, supplies and money.

Looking to the November 6th opening, Ritter said, “We are receiving various forms of donations (supplies and money) from different parts of the St. Joseph County Community.  We still need people to volunteer to staff the shelter.  We still need supplies to help the shelter function.  And we still need monetary donations to help us equip the shelter to make it run efficiently.”  He added, “We deeply appreciate the support and concern of the community.”

For more information, contact Jon Ritter at (269) 432-2701.

You can also learn more about “Open Arms” through an earlier River Country Journal story.  To access the story, click on the following link:  Open Arms program to offer weekend homeless shelter in Three Rivers