Because of the sensitive nature of its work, the shelter has few opportunities to get out into the community. Through planning and partnerships, it has found ways to raise awareness of the services it provides.
Mary Niemela, executive director of the shelter, said community support is essential to the shelter’s mission.
“I think make it more of an awareness to the community to say, all these people need help,” Niemela said. “And so some may just give to one agency and some divide up their annual giving to all of us.”
The shelter has been a partner of Copper Shores’ Giving Tuesday since the campaign operated as the Portage Health Foundation. Over the past decade, Niemela said, the shelter has watched the program grow.
“Mike just told me that recently that it was our total amount for all the years has been over $300,000,” Niemela said. “And so, you know, on an average, even if that’s 30,000 extra dollars every year.”
Niemela said community support has been essential to the shelter’s services for the past 46 years. Support has included an anonymous donation, campaign partnerships and awareness events such as the recent Ride Against Abuse.
Niemela said the shelter also needs items beyond cash.
“Receiving all the funding that they get and I’m not saying they need to support us and all of that, but every little bit helps, and that’s what we hope for,” Niemela said. “And not just with money. You know, we’re looking for people to donate canned goods or paper products or things like that. Our bill last year for those types of things was much higher than it has been in the past, not only because of the cost going up, but because we were full.”
Giving Tuesday raised more than $37,000 for the shelter in 2025. Those donations were especially important as domestic violence shelters faced program funding cuts at the state and federal levels.
Niemela said the same support will matter again this year. Recent Violence Against Women Act funding cuts have left a $30,000 gap in local program budgets at two Upper Peninsula shelters.
Readers can learn more about the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home through its website. More information about Copper Shores’ Giving Tuesday campaign is also available online. Readers can follow the My UP News and Keweenaw Report Giving Tuesday Spotlight Series for more coverage.
