Bay City homeless shelter undergoes more than $70,000 in renovations

One of the largest shelters in Bay County has received significant upgrades, this thanks to a fundraising project from the Leadership Bay County Class of 2020.

The Good Samaritan Rescue Mission in Bay City completed a renovation of its dining room area on the strength of a gift of more than $70,000 from the Leadership Bay County Class of 2020. The group, which consists of nearly 20 Bay Area professionals, selected the shelter as the benefit of its class project.

More than 30,000 meals are served inside the shelter each year.“This is an amazing accomplishment by the Leadership Class of 2020. The timing of the improvements are so practical due to COVID-19,” says Dan Streeter, CEO of Good Samaritan Rescue Mission.

“The renovation project created better spacing in our dining rooms, better surfaces for maintaining cleaning, but most important, it created a warm, caring, and compassionate dining experience for all of our guests presently and for many, many years to come.”

The funds paid for renovations to the mission's dining rooms, including this area that serves women and children. 

The Leadership Bay County Class of 2020 held fundraisers, a virtual silent auction, and applied for grants from community organizations. The Kantzler Foundation, the Community Initiative Fund at the Bay Area Community Foundation, the Russell H. & Maxine E. Smith Foundation, and the Oscar P. & Louise H. Osthelder Advisory Fund at the Bay Area Community Foundation each committed grants to the project.

The more than $70,000 raised helped build a new men’s dining area with fresh paint, new flooring, tables and chairs, and serving stations. The women and children’s main dining area was redesigned and renovated.

The men's dining area also was renovated as part of the project.“When you look at the cumulative effect, annually over 1,100 neighbors struggling in homelessness come to the doors of the Mission seeking help, and over 30,000 meals are served annually. That’s big impact,” Streeter says.

“We are abundantly thankful for the partnership and passion of the Leadership Class and their funders for investing in hurting lives and demonstrating that they care.”

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