{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2Feb357b9a-a56a-4594-9ed8-bfbdb924d251","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"A Warm Welcome","description":"How a rotating warming shelter is more than a service for Royal Oak's homeless; it's a blessing for guests and volunteers alike\r\n\n\n(0:02) Laura Mills, a volunteer at the rotating warming shelter at St. Mary Parish in Royal Oak, talks about \u201cSanta Claus,\u201d one of the shelter\u2019s longtime guests, who was able to find housing and rehabilitate after a lifetime of addiction. Mills says his \u201cfeel good story\u201d is emblematic of the work the shelter has done to provide homeless and struggling individuals a lifeline for decades.\r\n\n\n(3:07) Coordinator Heather Croy describes the work of the shelter, which, for a few weeks each winter, provides a respite from the bitter Michigan cold for dozens of guests with nowhere else to turn. The parish\u2019s gym is transformed with beds, fresh coffee is provided, and meals are served. It\u2019s a chance for guests to feel human again, she says.\r\n\n\n(6:12) Croy talks about how the effort got started more than 40 years ago after a homeless man froze to death outside the Royal Oak library. Dismayed, St. Mary\u2019s pastor at the time organized a temporary shelter in the evenings, just somewhere those down on their luck could crash for the night. Soon, other churches took notice, and eventually six area congregations decided to open their doors to the homeless as well. Today, each church takes two weeks each winter.\r\n\n\n(7:48) Despite Royal Oak\u2019s upscale atmosphere, Croy says, the need is very real for the city\u2019s homeless population. Croy talks about the changes since COVID-19, including the necessity to scale back the number of guests for safety reasons. It\u2019s been difficult, she says.\r\n\n\n(12:03) Far from simply providing a meal and a warm bed, Croy says it\u2019s important that volunteers take time to greet guests on a personal level. Every guest at St. Mary\u2019s knows her by name, and she knows them. It\u2019s how Jesus would want it, she says.\r\n\n\n(14:34) A guest at the shelter, who chose to remain anonymous, talks about how the shelter\u2019s volunteers made her and her daughter feel at home, and the circumstances that led her to seek help. \u201cThey are praying for me,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019re wonderful women.\u201d \r\n\n\n(16:38) Another guest, Kevin Brown, found himself homeless after his wife died of COVID-19 last year. He\u2019s been working to secure housing as a job transfer materializes, but the shelter has been a needed stopgap. \r\n\n\n(19:35) Croy talks about how the shelter\u2019s guests aren\u2019t the only ones who feel the impact. Volunteers love the opportunity to put God\u2019s gifts to work for others, and in turn are blessed by the guests who arrive at St. Mary\u2019s. Croy cites Matthew 25 as an impetus for the shelter\u2019s work.\r\n\n\nReporting by Gabriella Patti; narration and script by Casey McCorry; voice dubbing by Leah Butalid; production by Ron Pangborn\r\n\n\nThis episode of Detroit Stories is brought to you by Weingartz \u2026 everything from Lawn to Snow. Over the years, Weingartz has grown to offer an unbeatable selection of outdoor power equipment, and their experienced service technicians and unmatched parts inventory keep your equipment running like new. Visit http://www.weingartz.com (www.weingartz.com) to shop for your lawn and garden needs and find a convenient location near you.\r\n\nListen to \u2018Detroit Stories\u2019 on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Fireside. Podcasts also will be posted biweekly on DetroitCatholic.com.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/d5f1a81d-a6df-4ac1-864a-02dace458246/cover.jpg"}