Emergency homeless shelter Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse will open its doors for the winter season beginning November 3.

According to the nonprofit, employees have "been working on both operational updates and building modifications to make the shelter more welcoming" for Safe Harbor's second season at its new facility at 517 Wellington Street. Guests at the shelter receive a blanket, bunk and storage tub, an evening meal, and a cold breakfast. Shower and laundry facilities are also available. Services from community partner agencies are offered through the shelter's Housing & Human Services Resource Center. The Resource Center, located in the front of the building, operates three mornings per week to help guests with transitioning into permanent housing.

Last season, 268 individuals were served from early November 2017 until mid-April 2018. That number marked an increase in guests due to factors including limited housing stock, low wages, reduced funding for adult foster care, and the local opioid crisis, according to Safe Harbor.

"Having a fixed, accessible location has been a blessing," says Ryan Hannon, Street Outreach Coordinator for Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan. "People who have been sleeping in their cars and staying in other unsafe conditions have now found their way to Safe Harbor."