BWARM is an overnight warming shelter for homeless men in St. Clair County.
Those in need of shelter are encouraged to call 810-824-3244 to determine eligibility.
For over 10 years, the Blue Water Area Rescue Mission (BWARM) provided help and hope to St. Clair County’s homeless. But the COVID pandemic and the staffing shortages experienced nationwide took a toll on BWARM, forcing the doors to close in early 2022. Today, nearly two years later, a community-wide effort helped us open the doors once again!
In October of 2023, Renee Pettinger, a native of Marine City with more than 20 years of experience working with the homeless, moved back to the area to lead the effort to reestablish the Blue Water Area Rescue Mission as an overnight warming shelter for homeless men.
Volunteer Opportunities
We could not fulfill our mission to care for our neighbors without the faithful support of volunteers. Whether you are looking for an opportunity for yourself or your group, there are many ways to serve. To learn more about our most critical volunteer needs, please call the office at 810-824-3244 or email us at [email protected].
One of the best ways to learn about how you can plug in at BWARM is to take a tour behind the scenes. Give us a call and set up a tour today!
Groups Needed
If you’re looking for opportunities to serve as a church, organization, company or even family, BWARM is the place for you! Give us a call today to see what you and your group can do to help move BWARM forward for our neighbors in need.
Prayer Team
One of the simplest and yet most instrumental ways to care for our neighbors is to life BWARM and the guest’s up in prayer. The community is welcome to join us daily at 5:15pm as we pray for the guests before we welcome them in for the night.
Community Life Volunteers
Calling all night owls and early risers! The Mission is in need of volunteers to serve alongside our staff, building relationships with the shelter guests while helping supervise the activities in the shelter. A commitment of once/week is needed. Training is provided.
5:00pm - 10:00pm
Highly interactive, volunteers spend time welcoming the guests, serving dinner, assisting the guests with their chores and laundry and helping all new intakes settle in for their first night in shelter. Shifts are available seven days a week.
6:45am - 8:30am
If hospitality is your gift, this is the opportunity for you! Volunteers ensure the coffee is made, the snack basket is filled before preparing and serving a continental breakfast. There’s also plenty of opportunities to get to know the guests and encourage them before they leave the shelter at 8:30am.
Provide a Meal
Individuals, families, churches, employee and civic groups are needed to provide meals for the shelter guests.
Dinner
Prep a meal for 30 and deliver it to the Mission between 5:45pm - 5:55pm. Join us just once or lock in your preferred day by committing to provide and serve one meal each month. Dinners are served at 6:00pm, seven days a week. While not a requirement, volunteers are encouraged to stay and serve the meal.
Breakfast
Prep a hot breakfast for 30 and deliver it to the Mission between 7:15am - 7:25am on Saturday or Sunday. Can’t do a hot breakfast but you still want to help? Consider making muffins, hard boiling some eggs, and/or picking up some fresh fruit to ensure the guests have a healthy breakfast before they head out for the day. Breakfast donations can be dropped off after 4:30pm, seven days a week.
Drop-in Volunteering
Community members of all ages are invited to join us on Monday afternoons from 2:00pm - 4:00pm or on Thursday mornings from 10:00am - 12:00pm. Tasks typically include processing clothing donations, filling assistance bins, preparing the guest’s evening snacks, and light cleaning.
Donate
YES, I want to provide real help and real hope to the homeless!
By Mail:
Blue Water Area Rescue Mission
1920 24th Street, Port Huron, MI 48060
Please make checks payable to the Blue Water Area Rescue Mission.
By Phone: 810-824-3244
To purchase items needed to reopen the shelter, please see our Amazon Wish List.
Needs List
The Mission has been at capacity since reopening in September. You can help care for our neighbors in need by dropping off new and gently used items:
- Tennis shoes (all men’s sizes)
- Men’s winter boots (all men’s sizes)
- Shower shoes (slides or flip flops, all sizes)
- Crew white socks
- Sweats or Pajama pants (Sizes medium and large are needed most!)
- Sweatshirts (Sizes medium and large are needed most!)
- Jeans (32 - 34 waist are needed most)
- 3 in 1 body wash/shampoo
- Deodorant
- Toothpaste
- Hand warmers
- Rain ponchos
- All purpose cleaning spray (with bleach)
- Bleach
- Kleenex
- Ziploc bags (Gallon and snack size)
Donations can be dropped off before 8:30am or after 4:30pm each day. Please call 810-824-3244 to arrange a specific time outside this window.
Contact BWARM
Thank you to our Renovation Sponsors!
D&M Dumpsters
Eighth Day Media, LLC
Alexander Construction
MSC Floors
Kitchen Tune-up
Bedrock Granite
Stephenson Electric
Dyck Security
Dano's Dumpsters
Thorpe Printing
Cedar Hill Graphics
Resolute Building Services, LLC
Flooring Edge
Blue Water Community Action