With the first dusting of snow Wednesday, a Lansing overnight shelter run by Volunteers of America had to have six men sleep on the floor because the shelter was full.
"You get a higher demand," said Patrick Patterson, vice president of Lansing operations for Volunteers of America. "The cold drives more people in who typically don't seek services until the weather is dangerous."
Patterson said the organization is struggling to raise enough money to keep shelters in the area open, especially the New Hope Day Center, 430 N. Larch St., which has been in danger of closing for months. He said the Volunteers of America has decided to lower the amount of services at the overnight shelter to keep the New Hope Day Center and the Community Kitchen open.
"In January of last year the American Job Creation Act changed and reduced our revenue by 44 percent," Patterson said. "We were blessed with enough money to stay open so far. We are trying to stay open, especially during the winter months through March."
While the problems of the New Hope Day Center have been ongoing, this week has been chosen by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to raise awareness about the homeless population in the city and state.
But homelessness is something that should be addressed year round, said Mark Criss, executive director of the City Rescue Mission of Lansing.
"It is important for people to realize that there is an increased need for facilities," Criss said.
"We are purchasing a new building and renovating old ones to hold more people."
As of now, the shelter is receiving more people than they can handle, Criss said.
"We have to turn away some people because we don't have room for them," Criss said. "The demand and need for housing is definitely there. We house people on emergency basis and if we can't provide shelter we refer them to the (American) Red Cross but that is only temporary. They have to try the shelter first."
The New Hope Day Center is the only shelter open during the day and is the largest program and service center in the tri-county area, serving 1,900 "unique" people, Patterson said. He said they see a range of people in different ages and situations.
"We had an 18-year-old dropped off yesterday at our shelter," he said. "Homelessness even affects the youth."
Local groups have been working to raise money and awareness for the different shelters in Lansing this week.
From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., six different Citadel radio stations collected money at Celebration Cinema, 200 E. Edgewood Blvd., in Lansing, to arouse consciousness of the homeless population in the area.
Patterson said the center set a goal of $70,000 in fundraising for the day.
"We just realized there was a need," Donna Luce, marketing director for WFMK-FM (99.1) and the new WJIM-FM (97.5) said.
"They were in danger of closing, so we decided to help them. We want to raise enough to keep the center open for six months or longer."
Luce said she was happy with the Lansing response, but still hoped for more.
"People have been giving in all different denominations," she said. "Some are giving a couple of dollars, and some are giving a hundred."
With the growing population of people who need the support and help, Luce said she was glad to be part of a solution.
"It always makes you feel good to help the community and do something at home, do something here in our backyard," she said.
"It was real cold today, which made you realize where these people would be without the New Hope Day Center."
