Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse

Caring, Compassionate, Community-Focused

become a volunteer

Update: Year-round shelter.

Task force update - January 2026

Safe Harbor staff

Safe Harbor will remain open year-round

About Safe Harbor

Food, Shelter, Hope

Safe Harbor supports the physical and spiritual welfare of people experiencing homelessness by providing emergency shelter, food, and hope.

 

We operate a non-profit, volunteer-run Seasonal Emergency Shelter and a year-round Housing & Human Services Resource Center. As part of the Continuum of Care, we also focus on community partnerships in order to better collaborate on long-term solutions to ending homelessness in our region.

Why Volunteer

Since 2004, thousands of volunteers have given their time and love to help others in their community through Safe Harbor, which operates year-round. The more you learn about our people, our guests and our mission, the more you’ll want to join us.

Donate

Safe Harbor is largely volunteer-operated. This means your donation goes directly to the shelter functions.  Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Safe Harbor’s effort. Select from a one-time Sponsoring of a Day, a Bed, or Subscribing Monthly. Learn more about our donation process and which items we accept at what time. View some of our most common donation types below.

  • Help Sponsor a Day
    $50
    The overhead to run our shelter program include not only the utilities and facility upkeep, but the often unseen things like insurance and other operational expenses.
  • Sponsor a Bed
    $250
    By sponsoring at this level, you help Safe Harbor cover the costs for one of our 82 nightly shelter spots for an entire season.

Community Partners

Safe Harbor is grateful to our wonderful community of partners, without which our mission would not be possible. Our thanks to the following groups that have provided caring, compassionate hospitality to our guests at Safe Harbor.

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Central United Methodist Church
Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints
Traverse City Police Department
Northwest Michigan Healthcare Services (NMHSI)
Faith Reformed Church
St. Patrick Catholic Church
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church
St. Philip Neri
Traverse Health Clinic
Northern Lakes Community Church
Northwest Michigan Supportive Housing (NMSH)
Goodwill Street Outreach
Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency (NMCAA)
Presbyterian Church of Traverse City Michigan
Christ the King Catholic Church
Munson Family Practice
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Food Rescue of Northern Michigan
Northern Lakes Community Mental Health
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse
GTC Health Department
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
New Hope Community Church
Munson Healthcare
Goodwill Housing Support
Goodwill Inn
First Presbyterian Church of Elk Rapids
West Side Community Church
Sojourn Church
Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness
Grace Episcopal Church
Bayview Church
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Central United Methodist Church
Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints
Traverse City Police Department
Northwest Michigan Healthcare Services (NMHSI)
Faith Reformed Church
St. Patrick Catholic Church
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church
St. Philip Neri
Traverse Health Clinic
Northern Lakes Community Church
Northwest Michigan Supportive Housing (NMSH)
Goodwill Street Outreach
Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency (NMCAA)
Presbyterian Church of Traverse City Michigan
Christ the King Catholic Church
Munson Family Practice
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Food Rescue of Northern Michigan
Northern Lakes Community Mental Health
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse
GTC Health Department
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
New Hope Community Church
Munson Healthcare
Goodwill Housing Support
Goodwill Inn
First Presbyterian Church of Elk Rapids
West Side Community Church
Sojourn Church
Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness
Grace Episcopal Church
Bayview Church
View More

See What We’re Up To

  • Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse

    Wow, what an amazing gift we recently received from Oryana Community Co-op owners and shoppers! We’re beyond grateful to be part of Oryana’s Groceries for Good program, which last month raised more than $13,000 for our mission of supporting the physical and spiritual welfare of people experiencing homelessness by providing emergency shelter, food, and hope. Oryana shoppers raised $11,241.37 by rounding up their purchases for Safe Harbor, and Oryana donated $1,861.21 (2% of sales on Jan. 15) for an incredible donation total of $13,102.58. Thank you, community members, for your generosity! ❤️

  • Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse

    ‼️Emergency weather protocols in effect With wind chills expected to reach a low of -25 today, we have temporarily implemented our daylong winter weekend hours. This allows those who stayed at the shelter last night to remain indoors today. In addition, because Safe Harbor's 74-bed lodging is frequently at or over capacity, we're continuing to offer bus passes to Goodwill Northern Michigan, which recently activated its own hypothermic weather protocol called Code Blue—this allows Goodwill Inn to exceed its typical 126-bed capacity, 60 of which are reserved for families. Please stay safe, everyone. If you have questions, please contact the shelter at 231-944-0283.

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