Donations Pour in After Hutchinson Emergency Shelter Closes

A deluge of donations is raising hope that an emergency overnight shelter in Hutchinson could reopen.

The NOEL Lodge, a shelter operated by New Beginnings Inc., closed without warning Tuesday after a federal grant that helped fund it was not renewed.

Shelter director Juan Gonzeles says nearly $21,000 in donations has already been pledged, about half the amount needed to reopen on a month-to-month basis.

Gonzeles says the goal is to raise enough money to operate for three months, then seek more donations to ensure the shelter’s future.

The Hutchinson News reports the state said the shelter didn’t have its grant renewed because its application was missing information and it didn’t meet the minimum threshold for consideration. The shelter had received the federal Emergency Solutions Grant for 20 years.