Summary
Organization name
Montrose Lighthouse Shelter, Inc
other names
MLI
2016
Tax id (EIN)
81-4769576
Category
Housing & Shelter
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
505 S. 2nd StreetMontrose, CO 81401
Montrose County, CO, US
Montrose Lighthouse Inc offers emergency shelter, hot meals, laundry and shower facilities to the homeless November - April. The Lighthouse relies on the kind support of thoughtful donors who realize the positive impact the shelter has on both the un-housed and the community at large.
Testimonials
"Montrose Lighthouse Inc, has been instrumental in providing emergency housing to the un-sheltered population during the cold winter months. The members of the board of Montrose Lighthouse Inc, are passionate and devoted to the mission of reducing the plight of the un-sheltered, many of which are elderly and vulnerable. I applauded their undeterred focus on this population as our community reaps the benefits."
Sue Hansen, Montrose County Commissioner
Mission
The Montrose Lighthouse Inc was formed to provide un-sheltered people a safe place to sleep during the winter months, November through April. It furnishes the guests with comfortable beds, hot suppers and breakfasts, showers, laundry facilities, and Internet access as well as transportation to medical appointments, job interviews, etc. In addition to addressing the emergency shelter needs of this population, the Lighthouse also is able to coordinate with other entities which offer services addressing the needs of the shelter's guests.
Background Statement
MLI was formed in late 2016 to be a vehicle to organize and deploy resources for local homeless people and to provide them emergency winter shelter during the winter season after the people in a homeless camp that had been operating on private property were ordered to disperse.
Beginning in early December, 2016, MLI operated a 12-room, 48-bed dormitory in Olathe, Colorado. The dormitory had the primary purpose of housing H-2A seasonal non-immigrant agricultural workers who work in adjacent farmlands from May through November each year, and was returned to those purposes in April, 2017.
In 2018, a change in farming operations made MLI's use of the Olathe dormitory infeasible for the 2018-2019 winter season, so the City of Montrose generously made an unused housing facility known as The Brown Center available for use by seasonal agricultural workers and the unsheltered guests of MLI on the same shared basis as the Olathe dormitory: H-2A worker housing from May through October, and MLI guests from November through April. The facility was operated by MLI during the 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 winter seasons. It has seven bedrooms and a Fire Marshall guest occupancy limit of 30 guests. The guests assemble each evening at a location in downtown Montrose and are transported by van to the dormitory, and are returned back to the City each morning. They are furnished hot breakfast and supper meals, have Wi-Fi access to the Internet, and to shower and laundry facilities at the dormitory.
MLI is an all-volunteer organization and has no salaried employees or officers. A per diem stipend is paid to the volunteers who supervise the dorm operations and drive the van for dorm transportation.
Organization Data
Montrose, CO 81401