MOBILE, Ala. — McKemie Place, the only homeless shelter for women in southwest Alabama, is $550,000 in debt and could be forced to close unless it raises the money by the end of the year. Shelter leaders are now turning to the public for help.
The Mobile nonprofit has been leasing its building for about six years and is trying to buy it outright through a capital campaign. It has a Dec. 31 deadline to complete the purchase. If it falls short, board members say, the shelter may have to close its doors.
“We have been leasing this building basically for the last six years. We are trying to own this building outright through our capital campaign,” said board member Katie Bonner.
Nearly $40,000 raised in the first days
Bonner took the shelter’s plea to social media and asked the community to donate. Since the fundraising push began Friday, Sept. 25, McKemie Place has raised nearly $40,000.
One of the first people to give had once needed the shelter herself.
“Our very first donor was a lady that actually received benefits from us. We took her in and for three months and she got on her feet,” Bonner said.
The shelter relies on grants, donors and fundraising. Leaders say that income is not consistent, which has made it difficult to raise the full amount before the deadline.
A shelter for women from three counties
McKemie Place has helped more than 5,000 women since it opened in 2007. It is the only homeless shelter in southwest Alabama for women, housing up to 60 women a night from Mobile, Baldwin and Washington counties.
“We service to help women get back to the life that they’ve had before, or a better life than what they had,” said Executive Director Japonicas Thurman.
The shelter serves unaccompanied women 18 and older, meaning women who come to the shelter without children or other family members. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In its own words, “Homelessness doesn’t take a day off and neither do we!”
What the shelter provides
According to McKemie Place, guests receive:
- A safe place to stay: Safety is the shelter’s top priority. Everyone entering the building is subject to camera surveillance and a metal detector.
- Three meals a day: Volunteers prepare, bring and serve meals for guests.
- Case management: Each guest meets regularly with a case manager to set and work toward goals for regaining independence.
- Connections to resources: The shelter links women with health care providers, mental health counseling, educational opportunities, housing assistance, life skills training, job readiness programs and employment help.
- Spiritual encouragement: The shelter says it is not a faith-based organization but recognizes the role faith can play in recovery. Guests can choose to take part in services offered by local faith communities.
Some guests work full-time jobs while staying at the shelter as they save money and search for housing.
‘I’m thankful that I found this place’
Connie Owens is one of the women McKemie Place has helped recently. Within a month of her arrival, the shelter helped her find a home.
Owens said she once lived an average life with her husband. A few years ago, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. She and her mother then moved to south Alabama to be closer to her daughter.
“Seven years later, my mom died. My daughter, of course, had moved out and gotten her a job, and I was by myself,” Owens said.
After that, Owens said, her utility bills were higher than her mortgage payment.
“And [then] life happened,” Owens said. “I was in a hotel room, and the next day I was going to be homeless. And I’m thankful that I found this place.”
If McKemie Place raises all the money it needs, leaders say the shelter can help more women like Owens.
How McKemie Place began
McKemie Place took in its first guests in March 2007. It opened after an unaccompanied homeless woman froze to death on the streets of downtown Mobile. The shelter began as a service of the United Methodist Inner City Mission through the work of a Homeless Coalition task force, and became an independent nonprofit in 2010.
The shelter was named in honor of James “Jim” McKemie and his dedication to homeless people in the community.
After years of searching and planning, McKemie Place moved into its current facility in 2020. Having its own space allowed the shelter to care for women around the clock and expand its services. The capital campaign aims to convert that lease into ownership.
Why buying the building matters
For a nonprofit that depends on donations, owning its building instead of leasing it can bring long-term stability. Rent payments end, and the organization no longer faces the risk of losing its home if a lease ends or terms change. That can free money for services and protect the shelter’s ability to plan for the future.
The shelter’s leaders have described the Dec. 31 deadline as critical. Without the purchase, they say, McKemie Place may not be able to stay open.
Homelessness services in the Mobile area
McKemie Place is part of a network of agencies that serve people experiencing homelessness in the Mobile area. Its partners include Housing First, which coordinates housing assistance in southwest Alabama, and Health Care for the Homeless in Mobile.
The city of Mobile has also taken steps to help people without stable housing. As South Alabama News reported this month, the Social Security Administration now accepts Mobile’s homeless identification card as supporting ID.
Across the bay in Fairhope, Baldwin Family Village provides shelter for women and children. McKemie Place’s focus on unaccompanied adult women fills a different need. It is the only emergency shelter in the region dedicated to that population.
McKemie Place at a glance
- Founded: Took in first guests in March 2007; independent nonprofit since 2010
- Who it serves: Unaccompanied women 18 and older from Mobile, Baldwin and Washington counties
- Capacity: Up to 60 women a night
- Women helped: More than 5,000 since 2007
- Debt: $550,000
- Deadline: Dec. 31 to buy the building it has leased for about six years
- Raised so far: Nearly $40,000 since fundraising began Sept. 25
- Executive director: Japonicas Thurman
How to help
McKemie Place is continuing to accept donations from the public as its capital campaign moves forward. Donations can be made through the shelter’s website, mckemieplace.org. The shelter’s office can be reached at 251-287-2225 or [email protected], and its mailing address is P.O. Box 851418, Mobile, AL 36685.
Beyond financial gifts, the shelter relies on volunteers to provide meals and help with day-to-day needs. Anyone interested in volunteering or bringing a meal can contact the shelter by email.