BWARM homeless shelter extends season to May 27, reopening in September

Blue Water Area Rescue Mission announced it was extending its opening until the end of May just over four months after the men’s homeless shelter was reopened in December under new leadership.

According to a news release out late Wednesday, the BWARM facility has served 118 individuals and provided more than 2,200 nights of shelter since Christmas Eve.

At the time, Renee Pettinger, who remains with the organization, stepped in as interim shelter director but said the long-term goal was to put people in place to manage the shelter’s operations long-term.

The current extension for the shelter, operating as a traditional winter warming center, is until May 27. The mission, according to the release, would reopen on Sept. 8 later this year.

“It has been incredible to see the community come together so quickly to care for our homeless neighbors,” said BWARM Board President Beth Falls. “Our goal when we reopen in September is to stay open year-round so we can ensure there is always a safe place for our homeless neighbors.”

Previous shelter operators closed BWARM in early 2022. A temporary shelter was organized in the basement of a local church through the city of Port Huron, YMCA and other organizations.

According to BWARM, operating under a winter warming shelter model, the mission originally planned their season closing for the end of April.

However, a more recent decision was made to extend the season until later in May to meet the needs of current shelter guests before closing temporarily for the summer.

In addition to the primary men’s shelter on 24th Street in Port Huron, the mission also has plans to renovate a home on Bancroft Street, owned by the BWARM ministry, into transitional housing. Under previous operators Arnie and Debbie Koontz, it had opened as a women’s shelter.

The mission is looking for individuals and groups willing to volunteer their time over the summer to help with projects to ensure a successful fall reopening. Those interested in volunteering can contact the mission at info@bwarm.net

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: BWARM homeless shelter extends season to May 27, reopening in September