Our Shelter

We are the only family shelter in the county.

The Family Shelter has been the heart of Emergency Shelter Services (ESS) for 40 years. It provides temporary housing, where individuals experiencing homelessness can stay while receiving supportive services. Our goal is to help them develop necessary life skills, and find them permanent housing.

Volunteer
  • Black background with a white number 28 centered.

    homeless individuals at the shelter each day

  • Black background with white text display showing a percentage value of 45%

    of shelter residents are children

  • Black background with white text showing a price of $37 with a small icon of a shopping cart.

    feeds and shelters one person per day

  • Black protest sign with white text that reads 'Raise the Wage' and the number '39' in the center.

    days is the average length of stay

 

We offer our clients:

  • A green house icon with a small plant and gardening tools inside, set against a black background.

    Housing and food for the duration of their stay

  • Icon of two hands holding three interconnected gears.

    Daily financial education and life skills classes

  • A simplified illustration of a person sitting at a desk and another standing person across from them, both engaged in a conversation.

    Classes for children with teachers from Brookview Montessori School

 

How to help:

 

Option 1

Visit our Amazon wish list and send donations right to the shelter’s door. Choose the ESS gift address when checking out.

Wish List

Option 2

Contact our Shelter Manager, Reshella, to donate much needed items from the list below.

Contact
 
 
 
Woman working at a desk with a notebook, laptop, and papers, in a well-lit office.
Children sitting at tables eating in a kitchen or dining area with a woman and a baby.
Two children sitting at a round table reading books, wearing face masks in a room with wooden cabinets and shelves filled with books.
A group of five children, three sitting at a table and two on a couch, in a cozy room with wooden paneling. One child is standing and smiling, while the others are reading and smiling. The girl on the couch is holding a stuffed toy and wearing a face
View of a cozy living room seen through a doorway, with a sofa, armchairs, and windows with curtains. The interior has wooden trim around the door and window, with some papers and notices on the wall. An exit sign is above the door.
Kitchen with open refrigerator, microwave, stove, and a double sink on a kitchen island.
A young boy playing basketball outside near a basketball hoop, with a girl watching, on a partly shaded outdoor court with trees and a wooden fence.
Small bedroom with two mattresses, a mirror, two black chairs stacked, a window with white blinds, and plain light-colored walls.
Three children, two girls and one boy, in a room near a round wooden table with chairs, backpacks, and reference materials. They are preparing to leave for school, with the boy and the girl on the right wearing backpacks, and the girl on the left loo
A spacious bedroom with multiple beds, including a visible mattress, pillows, and framed artwork on lavender-colored walls. There are additional furniture pieces like a chair, mirror, and side table, with a window on the right.
A cozy living room with a wood-trimmed ceiling, wooden furniture, plush couches with patterned pillows, a patterned area rug, and large windows with white curtains.
A young child with a black hat and white shirt touching a white pipe on an outdoor wooden fence decorated with various metal and PVC pipe installations and circular mirrors.

Schedule a visit

269-277-5055

645 Pipestone Street
Benton Harbor, MI 49022