More renovations for Jubilee House - Record Eagle - Traverse City

BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com | Posted: Wednesday, July 15, 2015 11:21 am

More renovations for Jubilee House

Peggy Bunn, from left, Eunice Taylor and her husband Rick Taylor are volunteers at the Grace Episcopal Church Jubilee House at 325 Washing St. in Traverse City.

TRAVERSE CITY — The Jubilee House at Grace Episcopal Church is getting another makeover.

A $21,145 grant from Midland's St. John's Episcopal Church Endowment Committee and the Vestry of St. John's will allow church officials to make the more than 100-year-old building handicap accessible, a renovation volunteers hope will help them serve more people.

"This will allow not only patrons who may be handicapped to enter and use our services, but it will allow some volunteers who have not been in that house at all who go to our church to have a chance to contribute to the ministry if they want to," Parish Administrator Ann Hackett said.

The Washington Street house in downtown Traverse City provides laundry, showers, mail, computer use and storage year-round to those who are homeless or otherwise in need. It also functions as an emergency shelter during extreme winter weather.

The house was established in 2006 and expanded this spring to include a second full bathroom, a conference room and a quiet living space separate from the social area. The next step is to build ramp access to the back door, widen exterior and interior door frames and designate handicap parking spaces.

Parishioner Peggy Bunn has volunteered at the Jubilee House since 2011. She's happy to see the renovations all come together and said she's looking forward to seeing new faces at the house.

"I think it's going to be a great thing for people who are not able to climb stairs," Bunn said. "They can get in and have the camaraderie and the social aspect."

Officials do not yet have a start date for the construction but hope to have the work completed before winter.

"I imagine before the snow flies we'll have something in front of us," Hackett said. "That will be the desirable goal."