Loving and serving Charlevoix since 2013
Night Light Shelter
November 1 - March 31
8:30 pm - 8:00 am
Located at 100 Oak Street, Charlevoix
No alcohol, non-prescription drugs, or weapons allowed on premises
The Night Light Shelter is an overnight shelter for men. When it initially opened in 2014, some questioned if there was really a need for a homeless shelter in Charlevoix; after all, there weren’t people sleeping on benches or hanging out in our parks overnight. But time has proven that, yes, there is a need for a homeless shelter in Charlevoix.
Night Light opened in January 2014, operating out of the community room at Community Reformed Church and housed two guests those first months. Guests slept on donated mats, which were stored in the closet come 8 a.m., when they had to leave for the day. There was a bathroom and a coffee pot available, but little else. Certainly not as homey as a room at a Holiday Inn, but it was a safe, warm place to sleep.
Flash forward to the 2023-24 season. The shelter is open overnight (8:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.) from November 1st through March 31st and located in the former parsonage of Community Reformed Church. This gives us a kitchen/dining room area, a bathroom with shower, a bedroom with bunkbeds to house 8 guests, and a washer and dryer so the guests can do their laundry. There is also a computer available for the guests to apply for jobs, benefits, and various permanent housing opportunities. This past season, over 20 guests graced the Night Light’s doorstep, and we strive to treat all with the dignity that each of us deserves.
For all that the Night Light offers, the heart of this ministry is our volunteers. The shelter is available for 151 nights from November 1st through March 31st or 152 nights during a Leap Year. We are staffed entirely by volunteers; without them, the shelter simply wouldn’t exist. These guys are rock stars!! New volunteers are given an orientation and initially partnered with an experienced volunteer. Most of our volunteers work two nights a month; however, some are willing to do more, and some can only do one night a month. We’re grateful for whatever time they can give us. Covid threw a small monkey wrench into our volunteer base; some were willing to continue despite Covid and some opted out. A local hotel, Villa Moderne, stepped in to help us out a few nights a month so we could keep the shelter open with a smaller crew of volunteers. They continue to work with us
when we find that the volunteers schedules don’t allow for full coverage during any month; sometimes those months with 31 days can be tricky for scheduling. Our volunteers come from surrounding communities, are a variety of ages, and are from different walks of life. The one thing all of them have in common is a heart to help. We have found that their willingness to help extends beyond the walls of the shelter. Volunteers have been known to help fix vehicles; put on a special meal for Thanksgiving, Christmas or the Super Bowl; or provide rides to job interviews, the bus station or a rehab facility. Our volunteers are a special group of men.
The Night Light Shelter is part of an informal network of Emmet, Charlevoix and Grand Traverse County shelters. We are also included on shelterlistings.org and have a close relationship with local law enforcement, the 9-1-1 regional call center and various churches.
The contact person for Night Light is Kim Bakker,
who can be reached at 231-330-5316.