Grow Green Giving: Manhattan Emergency Shelter, Inc.
The Manhattan Emergency Shelter Inc. (MESI) is a local community homeless shelter dedicated to providing safe and temporary shelter for people experiencing homelessness in the Manhattan area. Led by Emily Wagner, Executive Director, MESI serves men, women, and families with children, with 80% of their clients successfully transitioning into permanent housing. The shelter also offers wraparound services, including rapid rehousing programs and homeless prevention initiatives, to ensure individuals and families receive the support they need to rebuild their lives.
MESI participates in Grow Green Match Day to ensure proper funding and create a safety net for federal grants. Emily Wagner explained that the decision to participate stemmed from the need to increase their endowment and establish a reliable funding source for operating expenses. With federal and state funding for shelters dwindling, MESI sees Grow Green Match Day as an opportunity to raise crucial funds without restrictive conditions, allowing them to allocate resources where needed most, from salaries to insurance and operational supplies.
During the 2023 Grow Green Match Day, MESI raised funds to grow its endowment and support operating expenses. Emily Wagner highlighted the importance of these funds in combating the effects of inflation and meeting the shelter's increasing needs.
"The Grow Green match is going to help us combat the effects of inflation that we're seeing. I always tell everyone, you know, all the supplies and the things that you do in your own household, we probably go through those things 50 to 100 times faster. So, if you think about how often you're going through toilet paper and paper towels, food, cleaning supplies, all those little things just to keep your household running and going. We have 47 people here. So, we're going through that a lot," said Emily Wagner.
Looking ahead to 2024, MESI aims to continue growing its endowment to attain greater self-sustainability. Specific projects on the horizon include:
- Upgrading equipment like commercial refrigerators and freezers.
- Addressing maintenance issues such as painting and window screens.
- Expanding outreach efforts to provide essential services to the homeless population, including mental health and addiction treatment initiatives.
Through initiatives like Grow Green Match Day, MESI strives to build a stronger foundation for the future, ensuring that it can continue to serve the community effectively for years to come.
Join us in supporting the Manhattan Emergency Shetler, Inc. during the 12th Annual Grow Green Match Day on April 22nd. On this day, your donation (between $25 and $1,000) will be matched at 50%. Organizations are eligible to receive up to $7,500 in matching dollars from $15,000 in donations. GMCF thanks Phil Howe and the Howe Family Foundation for its monumental support of this event and dedicates its growing success to their matching efforts. Learn more about Grow Green Match Day at GrowGreenManhattan.com!
