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Shelby-Utica News (MI) Ministry wants to bring hope to city KRISTYNE E. DEMSKE C & G Staff Writer Published: April 16, 2008
"We think it's absolutely necessary," said founding member Maria Kremer. "There's just an abundance of despair. It's here and it's in our neighborhoods, and the people need a place to go and they need a place to find God." Members said they have worked in the past with people who are homeless or have been through drug or alcohol rehabilitation but don't know how to get on with their lives afterward.The home would house four men and a supervisor from the organization, who would be on hand 24/7. The men would be responsible for chores, working and ministering in the community. "I think when people hear what we're doing and they understand more what is happening, I think there's going to be a lot of support," Kremer said.She said even though the organization has acquired 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit, they are not looking for any tax breaks from the community. "We want to be part of this community. We want to be contributing, active members in this community," she said. "We're not trying to take from the city at all."Mayor Jacqueline Noonan said city officials were trying to see if there was any other way to allow the organization to operate in the home other than rezoning. "We were hoping that the (Zoning Board of Appeals) would be able to interpret it differently," she said. "Rezoning does appear to be the only avenue."And although rezoning the property to multiple family residential from single family residential would make it a spot zone, Noonan said they're avoided, but not unheard of in the city. "That's not to say that anything is not possible," she said. "The public process is available. Who knows what Planning (Commission) and council will do?"However, Mayor Pro Tem Russell Barthelmeh brought up the fact that the rezoning could bring unintended consequences. "If the house ever got torn down, an apartment could go there," he said, alluding to the fact that the zoning follows the property, not the building or the owner of the property.Kremer said they've talked to many of the immediate neighbors to the property and have found support for their mission. They're hoping to expand on that in the next few weeks, spreading the message of their mission. Maria Kremer, Diana and Kevin Morgan, Jonce Trajkovski and James Lanctot founded the mission in December."We've been working through the legal system in trying to get all the incorporation papers and all the legal aspects taken care of," Kremer said. "We're anxious to get to the ministry." She said they're working with local homeless and nonprofit organizations to find men to help through the charity. They will have to meet certain requirements and agree to certain things before being taken under the organization's wing.They will accept men 18 years and older who are drug and alcohol free; looking to follow God and to be ministered to; are physically capable of participating in work, chores and ministry; are not on any addictive medicines; have never been charged with any sex crimes; and have no outstanding warrants or pending litigation. "What we've seen in the past is that a lot of times people can make this first step" of going through a rehabilitation program, Kremer said. "Then there's no follow-through. They need to find God and to fill themselves with God in order to stay off of " drugs and alcohol."It's going to be a fully supervised facility," Kremer said. "Our intentions are very pure here." For more information, log on to www.placeofhope.net.You can reach Staff Writer Kristyne E. Demske at kdemske@cand gnews.com or at (586) 498-1041. Copyright, 2008, Shelby-Utica News (MI), All Rights Reserved.
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Last Updated: July 21, 2008 KMM |
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© 2008 Place Of Hope. All Rights Reserved. |
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