MICHIGAN CITY — Citizens Concerned for the Homeless [CCH] and United Way of La Porte County have announced that CCH has received a $125,000 capital project grant from the Indiana United Ways Statewide Capital Projects Initiative [SCPI].
The grant will be used toward the renovation of CCH’s Sand Castle Shelter for Homeless Families, an emergency residential shelter facility located in Michigan City that serves single mothers with children and other families that require assistance to re-establish sustainable financial self-sufficiency.
This infusion of grant funding has enabled CCH to modernize the century-old building and install all new windows as part of its renovation, ensuring that every family spending time at Sand Castle Shelter is housed in a safe, comfortable and energy-efficient space.
“According to the latest ALICE [Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed] report, in 2022, more than 51 percent of families in Michigan City struggled to meet essential needs, like food, housing, healthcare, childcare, and transportation. That percentage climbs to 81 percent for single-female-headed households and 63 percent of single-male-households in La Porte County,” said United Way of La Porte County’s President & CEO Kris Pate.
“Sand Castle Shelter is a fundamental community asset available to working families when they face financial crisis, providing them with temporary housing and supportive services. We were delighted to recommend this project to the Indiana United Ways Statewide Capital Projects Committee because CCH is a strong, collaborative partner, increasing long-term financial stability in La Porte County while addressing urgent basic needs. They have been at the forefront of innovative, life-changing services for our residents,” said Pate.
Funding for this project was made possible due to United Way of La Porte County’s membership in Indiana United Ways, the state membership association for 42 of the 44 United Ways serving Indiana counties. The grant from Indiana United Ways enabled the project team to close a critical gap in funding so that the project could be completed in a timely manner. The Sand Castle Shelter project is the first capital project in La Porte County and in Indiana to receive funds from SCPI.
“The Sand Castle building is over 100 years old, and thanks to this matching grant and the support of our community, CCH will be able to renovate both the interior and exterior of the historic structure. Replacing the 36 windows of the building felt out of reach until United Way of La Porte County shared this new funding opportunity with us. We are proud to deepen our partnership with United Way of La Porte County and attract funding from the Indiana United Ways Statewide Capital Projects Initiative to our community,” said Jim Musial, executive director of CCH.
“The renovated building will create a sense of normalcy for Sand Castle Shelter’s residents, which makes a return to sustainable self-sufficiency more achievable. The Shelter provides a home-like environment where displaced families can heal, regroup, and return to sustainable income and permanent housing. As a shared environment, the families support and encourage one another. In addition to having their basic needs for food and shelter met, residents create an action plan wherein their barriers to self-sufficiency are identified, and a strategy is developed to eliminate those barriers. Options include classes available at CCH’s Grace Learning Center, located next door to Sand Castle Shelter, and referral for more challenging barriers to one of the dozens of community partners CCH has the honor of collaborating with through Keys to Hope Community Resource Center,” he added.
To follow the progress of the Sand Castle Shelter renovation or join us in bringing this project to completion, please like and follow the “Sand Castle Shelter for Homeless Families, Michigan City, Indiana” Facebook page or visit cch-mc.org. The renovated space will re-open this summer.
Community members can make a gift toward the Sand Castle Shelter capital campaign by going online at cch-mc.org and clicking Please Donate or by sending a check to Citizens Concerned for the Homeless at P. O. Box 8612, Michigan City, IN 46361 with a memo indicating “Sand Castle Shelter Capital Campaign.” This matching grant would not be possible without the support of the La Porte County community and a partnership with United Way of La Porte County.
“This is the largest grant to be received toward the Sand Castle Shelter renovation project, but we are grateful for every gift and partnership that makes this possible,” said Musial.
