Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave's On the Ground Battle Creek series.

BATTLE CREEK, MI — A relationship forged during the pandemic became formalized this month with the announcement Monday that Kingdom Builders Worldwide has entered into a management services agreement with the Battle Creek Shelter’s (BCS) Board of Directors to operate the Shelter located at 209 E. Michigan Avenue.

Kingdom Builders assumed day-to-day operational control of BCS on January 1, according to a press release.

“We believe the collaboration with Kingdom Builders Worldwide and the Battle Creek Shelter is moving in the right direction to address the unhoused population,” says Dr. Tino Smith, founder and CEO of Kingdom Builders. 

"The effort cannot be motivated by political or financial desires; it must be driven by the mission of our Creator," says Smith. "Kingdom Builders and the BCS Board members are committed to helping the homeless, providing food and clothing, and fulfilling our moral obligations to uplift our community.”

The two nonprofits were brought together when Kingdom Builders was asked to transport food prepared at the S.H.A.R.E. Center to the Shelter. “We would drop off lunch and dinner and I had two of my staff serving the food,” Smith says. “Then we got to a point where we were asked to cook the food since we have a certified kitchen.”

209 E. Michigan Avenue.About 50 meals were served during both the lunch and dinner seatings to clients at BCS which is the only low-barrier shelter in Calhoun County. These types of shelter options “do not require any of the following for a client to stay at the shelter: criminal background checks, credit checks or income verification, program participation, sobriety, or identification. They may, however, enforce safety requirements for self, staff, place, and others,” says information on the Law Insider website.

Smith says the Shelter’s low-barrier status is an important distinction and one that sets it apart from other shelters in the area which have stipulations that their clients are required to adhere to. 

“There’s a major need for this in town,” he says. “The S.H.A.R.E. Center closes at a certain time and the Haven of Rest has requirements that people seeking shelter must meet in order to stay there. Anybody can come to these shelters, but they make sure they’re not violent or intoxicated among other things. We really don’t say ‘No’. We’re talking about not having a lot of rules and regulations. That’s exactly what this shelter is. You can come in intoxicated and we’ll take care of you. The sad thing is we’re being sent people from other places that won’t take them in.”

Kingdom Builders staff will work in teams of two on eight-hour shifts to assist clients at BCS which is open 24/7. Smith says these employees are receiving training offered through the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness to become certified to work with those individuals seeking shelter at BCS. The training includes areas of focus on client privacy and data security.

BCS opened in late 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic after local leaders requested a solution for the unhoused population. A group of individuals and organizations teamed up to create the Battle Creek  Shelter to address the growing needs of adults who don’t have housing, says the press release.

An unidentified client of the Battle Creek Shelter. Staff there helped deliver her baby, according to Dr. Tino Smith.In addition to providing food and shelter, Kingdom Builders also will offer resources through collaborations with other community organizations to assist clients at the Shelter who seek a path to becoming employed and sustainable and stable housing options. BCS has partnered with more organizations since 2021 to connect its clients to numerous resources, ranging from mental health treatment and addiction rehabilitation to housing assistance and job training. 

In addition to the Battle Creek Community Foundation, key partners have included Summit Pointe, Bronson Battle Creek, City of Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Zanetti  Foundation, State of Michigan, Battle Creek Police Department, Feldpausch Foundation, and Haven of  Rest Ministries. 

Since opening, BCS has provided various much-needed services, including safe overnight housing, meals, clothing, showers, case management, and supplies to hundreds of people. In 2023, the shelter provided overnight shelter to 410 people — including 113 women and 39 military veterans — and served more than 19,000 meals, according to the press release. 

Todd McDonald, Chairperson of the Battle Creek Shelter Board of DirectorsPart of the plan for the shelter has included its transformation into a 501C3 organization, says Todd McDonald, Chairperson of the BCS Board of Directors. This Board, he says, has been working on a transition plan for the facility since June 2023 as it took several steps to achieve independence as a nonprofit organization, reduce expenses, and move out of the start-up phase that had been supported financially and operationally by the Battle Creek Community Foundation since the shelter opened in late 2020.

“Since its inception, it has been operated by BCCF and we were at the point in our existence where we needed to become independent,” he says. “We felt that working with Tino’s group allows us to work with another good organization that cares deeply about our community and streamline operations while tying into good local resources.”

As the contracted manager of operations, Kingdom Builders will provide onsite management, operational oversight, reporting, and meals at the facility. Kingdom Builders also will provide regular communication to the BCS Board of Directors, an independent nonprofit organization that continues to govern and own the facility. 

The Shelter, which has an annual budget of $475,000 recently began a major upgrade of its shower and restroom infrastructure to accommodate more clients beginning this year. Construction is scheduled to be completed in February and will expand the shelter’s capacity from the current 50 individuals to 80.
Funding for the Shelter is provided through a combination of short-term grants and donations. McDonald says he and his fellow board members are continuing to seek support, both financial and in-kind to maintain long-term sustainability.

“We already have funds secured to operate for six plus months and are looking to secure funding beyond that,” McDonald says. “Even though we’ve been around since 2020, we’re still considered a start-up. We would like to have one year if not more in operational funds. The need is greater than what the community currently can provide and I think you’d get that same answer in every community across the state. As a community, it’s important to have grassroots efforts to be able to support operations like this.

At some point, he says he hopes the Shelter will be able to serve families with children, in addition to its current client population which is open to anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.

The Kingdom Builders Shelter at 209 E. Michigan Avenue.“We’ve had some conversation about that. From the facility end of things, with some improvements or modifications we could be in a place where we could provide shelter and support from families,” McDonald says.

The reality, Smith says, is that the number of unhoused individuals in the Battle Creek area is increasing, mirroring what’s happening throughout the United States, and their needs must be addressed.

“I see people post on Facebook ‘Pray for the homeless’. My response to this is, 'Let’s find solutions to help and support the unhoused.'”

Any individual or organization who wishes to support the shelter financially can learn more online at bchomelessshelter.com or send donations directly to the Battle Creek Shelter, 209 E. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, MI, 49017.