MICHIGAN CITY — The renovation of Sand Castle Shelter for Homeless Families, a $630,000 project impacting 100 percent of both the exterior and interior of the building, has been completed.
Sand Castle Shelter, located in Michigan City, offers unhoused and displaced families residential housing and emergency services, which includes addressing barriers which brought families to Sand Castle in need of assistance.
Through programming offered by parent group Citizens Concerned for the Homeless, Inc. (CCH), families graduate with tools and skill sets necessary for sustainable self-sufficiency.
Recently, CCH welcomed back Sand Castle Shelter participants who had been housed at Baymont Inn by Wyndham since mid-spring during interior renovations.
Families graduating made way for new participant families to enroll at the hotel, so Sand Castle programming was never paused.
All of the shelter’s interior rooms received a complete makeover. Plumbing was upgraded and old fixtures and piping replaced. Electrical was upgraded and all rooms now have ceiling fans/lights. All four shelter restrooms and the kitchen were gutted and replaced.
“This 110-year-old plus building was the rectory of Sacred Heart Church and for the last 17 years has been home to over 1,900 individuals, families, single moms with children, couples, and single women,” said Jim Musial, executive director of CCH which operates the Sand Castle Shelter program.
“With both the interior and exterior completely restored and fortified, Sand Castle Shelter for Homeless Families will play host to unhoused and displaced families for decades to come,” he added.
The primary contractors secured by CCH to do the work include Circle R Mechanical, Palpable Paints, Current Electric, RFC Services, Kent Heating and Air Conditioning, Quality Windows and Doors, Gluth Brothers Roofing Company, Colvin Masonry Co., Concord Northwest Landscaping, Captain Ed’s Furniture & Mattress, CS Services (concrete), Scheider Lock and Security and Entryways Unlimited.
Musial added that the community really came together when CCH launched the adopt a room program at the end of construction, inviting community to help finish off decorations of all Sand Castle family bedrooms and shelter common areas.
“We are sincerely grateful and could not have done this without help of the following individuals and groups who stepped up to volunteer their time and donate materials to complete the rooms,” he said.
Those who adopted rooms include:
Room 1 – Anthony Adams House
Room 2 – La Porte County Sheriff’s Office
Room 3 – Pastor Rod and Etta Williams from Cornerstone Church
Room 4 – The Landry family – Shayne, Jenna, Keyleigh, Ethan, Rowyn and (Jenna’s mom) Sarah Melford
Room 5 – Stanley and Leslie Coles
Room 6 – Amy Bowman with Good News Vintage. Bowman also added decorations throughout the shelter
Room 8 – Amy Wisor and family and Erica Boyd from Emarie Project
Staff and guest powder room – Tammy Rosebaum
Storage Shelves and laundry folding shelf – The Holiday Group
Amazon wish list with Sand Castle Shelter as the recipient, for her birthday – Amanda Fowler from Meals on Wheels
Décor for the shelter – Holly Bliss.
Dennis Quirk and Justin Harris with cash donations for a room or other areas of the shelter
Pantry shelves – Doug and Nick Rosebaum
Window treatments and miscellaneous décor – Moose Lodge
Musial also added that CCH was extremely fortunate for community support, from individuals, businesses, churches, civic groups and state and local foundations.
Regarding the capital campaign, CCH thanks more than 170 contributors for their donations. Their donations, totaling more than $51,000 and triggering a match from Health Foundation of La Porte resulting in more than $102,000 added to the project.
Similarly, a match grant awarded through United Way of LaPorte County brought $125,000 to Phase two, allowing 47 new high-end windows to be installed in the building.
CCH also thanks and acknowledges the receipt of Phase 1 and Phase 2 grants from Michigan City’s distribution of nearly $100,000 of ARPA funding, $80,000 from 1st Source Foundation, $15,000 from PNC Bank, $15,000 from the John W. Anderson Foundation, $15,000 from the Michigan City Community Enrichment Corp, $100,000 from Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s Emergency Solutions grant, $20,000 from the John F. Smiekel Foundation, $25,000 from James A. Mitchell, $5,000 from the Unity Foundation of La Porte County and more than $181,000 from community individuals, companies, businesses, churches, organizations and foundations.
CCH also thanks and acknowledges the La Porte County Convention and Visitors Bureau who contributed a donation but who also coordinated the hotel accommodations with Baymont Inn by Wyndham, who gave CCH a great rate brokered by the visitors bureau.
“We are blessed to live in a generous and compassionate community, willing to help families navigate through troubled waters and to return to permanent housing,” Musial said.
