As The Haven of Portage County approaches a year of operation, the shelter has seen no shortage of homeless individuals and families looking for a place to stay.

The shelter, which houses up to 64 guests at a time, has welcomed 195 people through its doors since its April 2022 opening in Ravenna Township. Some guests stay for as short as a day or as long as six months and others, like Belinda Marburger, come back to the shelter as volunteers.

Marburger, who stayed at the shelter for four months with her husband, now rents a home next door to the Haven.

“They definitely helped us get on our feet, helped my husband get a job and get our mental health together and stuff like that,” Marburger said. “We’re pretty successful today and we wouldn’t had it not been for the Haven.”

When a guest first arrives at the shelter a “Blessing Bag” packed with new clothing and toiletries gives them a symbolic fresh start. Their next step is an assessment with Coleman Health Professionals and the assignment of a case manager. Guests work with their case manager to address issues such as addiction and mental health while navigating the process of getting government documents, such as a birth certificate, applying for jobs, SNAP benefits and rental assistance.

“One of the things that I try to stress to my staff and to volunteers is the folks that come to us, they don’t necessarily want a

handout – they want a hand up,” Executive Director Anne Marie Noble said.

At the shelter, guests clean their beds each morning and work on a list of chores before leaving between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. This window ensures they are actively working to improve their situation by giving them time to meet with case managers and go to job interviews. Marburger said this routine prepared her for having a space of her own to care for.

“I was in a shelter in Cleveland before and this place is nothing like this,” she said. “Yeah, you have to be up at 6 o’clock in the morning but really that’s okay. It gives you goals, it gives you something to look forward to, it gives you something so you can get out there and get yourself together.”

Looking to the Future

The financial aspect of operating the shelter remains a priority for Noble. The Haven runs entirely on individual donations and partnerships with community organizations and churches to avoid taking federal funds that may limit the amount of time guests can stay there.

“We would always need more [donations],” she said. “Right now, you know, food costs are astronomical. Utilities are out of sight. So, it probably costs about … $10,000 a year per person to house.”

Noble said she also has her eyes on expansion. The shelter has two family rooms, with one currently occupied by a family with two young children. Because of this, guests must pass a background check to stay there.

“There are people that fall between the cracks because for one reason or another they can’t get in here because we do background checks on everyone,” she said. “We’re looking at finding a facility, building a facility, whatever it takes for those folks that fall between the cracks.”

The proposal is still early in development. Noble said an ideal timeline would be a year from now but noted it took five years to open the doors to the Haven.

With one year left before her expected retirement as executive director, Noble said she remains committed to helping the people of Portage County get back on their feet.

“How someone got here is none of our business,” she said. “What our job to do is to move them forward.”

Those interested in volunteering or donating to The Haven can go to their website or call 330-235-8600.

Alton Northup is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].