THANK YOU … The Sanctuary Homeless Shelter Founder, Pastor Mike Kelly receives a token of appreciation from Jackie Boyd for his service to the shelter. (PHOTO BY AMY WENDT, STAFF)
By: Amy Wendt
On Tuesday, April 11 the Sanctuary Homeless Shelter held its annual Appreciation Banquet celebrating 30 years of service to men, women, children, and families who are struggling with homelessness.
The evening offered an opportunity for husband and wife team Sibin Sam and Pheba Banerjee-Sam, Directors of the organization, to give gratitude to their supporters, celebrate the lives of those that the homeless shelter has helped over the years, and share the latest information and updates about the organization.
Banquet guests were treated to hors d’oeuvres and a meal with Board member Sam Byroads welcoming attendees and providing an opening prayer.
Following the meal, Director Pheba Banerjee-Sam kicked off the evening’s presentation with an introduction and briefly shared how her journey to help those less fortunate led the Sam family to Bryan, Ohio one and a half years ago.
Long-time Board member Jackie Boyd then took the mic to offer a historical 30-year reflection on the Sanctuary Homeless Shelter and its importance to the community over the years.
Boyd noted that 30 years ago she visited the Grace church where the Sanctuary Homeless Shelter founder, Pastor Mike Kelly was preaching.
“He also talked that day about a new ministry that he was going to be beginning and that he was going to work to serve the homeless in Bryan, Ohio,” recalled Boyd.
Since that time, Pastor Mike has served at the helm of the homeless shelter’s day-to-day operations and is primarily responsible for building it into the asset to the community that it is today.
At the end of her presentation, Boyd shared with attendees that Pastor Mike has tried several times to retire and has talked about it for years.
Now that the Sanctuary is in the “capable hands of Siben and Pheba he feels comfortable enough to let that go,” Boyd continued.
With that, fellow board member Byroads joined Boyd on stage, and together they called Pastor Mike up to offer him a token of their appreciation for all of his hard work and dedication to the shelter, its guests, and the community over the years.
The informational presentation then continued with a virtual tour of the Sanctuary apartments and a director’s update by Sibin Sam.
To round out the night, attendees heard testimonies from former residents of the shelter to further demonstrate the positive impact the organization has made on the area’s homeless population over the years.
The Sanctuary Homeless Shelter is the only homeless shelter in Williams County that cares for men, women, and families and sees approximately 80-90 individuals and families come through their doors per year.
Setting the Sanctuary apart from other area homeless shelters, it is the only Christ-centered facility of its kind.
In addition to temporary housing, the Sanctuary gives its shelter guests opportunities to help build themselves up from rock bottom.
The organization strives to help its guests learn to take care of themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Assistance is also provided to aid guests in finding a job, and saving money so they can become self-sufficient and achieve a new sense of balance.
While staying at the shelter, guests are expected to observe Christ’s moral standards (No drugs, alcohol, fighting, etc.), keep their apartments clean, attend a weekly Christian worship service, and obtain gainful employment.
Since the Sanctuary does not receive any government funding, housing and stay are completely paid for through generous donations from the community. Donations of food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and linens are always needed.
If people in the community wish to lend a helping hand to the shelter, volunteers are always welcome to clean, babysit, run errands, and drive shelter guests to appointments. To find out more about volunteer opportunities call 419-630-8339.
-If you would like to make a financial gift to the shelter online visit: https://bit.ly/3FDnyUp.
Amy can be reached at amy@thevillagereporter.com