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Fresh Start Emergency Shelter asks Geary County to continue $40,000 support as it expands overnight services
Summary
Debbie Savage, executive director of Fresh Start Emergency Shelter, told commissioners the shelter converted to an overnight program in January 2026, has served 63 unique clients year‑to‑date, and requested continued county funding of $40,000 to sustain operations while pursuing ESG and other grants to reach 24/7 service.
Debbie Savage, executive director of Fresh Start Emergency Shelter, asked the Geary County commission to continue the shelter’s $40,000 annual funding to sustain a newly established overnight program and expand case management and support services.
"Starting January 5, 2026, we did turn into a night shelter program," Savage said, describing the operational shift that lets clients check in between 6 and 7 p.m. and leave the following morning. She said the change was intended to provide safe temporary overnight lodging while the program works toward full 24/7 operations if additional grants are awarded.
Savage gave program metrics: 63 unique clients have been enrolled through May 2026; 26 were unsheltered when admitted. She provided an age breakdown and exit outcomes: eight exited to housing, others to jobs or family, and a small number to hospitals or jail. She estimated average monthly operating expenses (payroll, utilities, maintenance, food) at about $8,300 for the January–May period and said the county’s $40,000 last year was critical to keeping the shelter open.
Shelter leaders and board members also argued that housing people reduces community costs: presenters cited research estimating annual public costs per person experiencing homelessness at $30,000–$50,000 and presented an internal estimate that the shelter’s work could save roughly $490,000 this year if housing outcomes persist. Savage and board members described partnerships with the Kansas State Homeless Coalition, United Way match funds and grant applications (including ESG emergency solutions grant) that could support a 24/7 transition.
Commissioners asked about staffing, water usage and partnerships with a county homeless task force; Savage described operational changes (LED lighting, push‑button showers) and said Fresh Start is part of the new county task force and pursuing additional grants and collaborations.
The presentation and Q&A closed without a recorded vote in the transcript.
