Mark Oprea
Nathan Long, GFRM's executive director shown here at a town hall in Munson last Tuesday. Despite making a case for Geauga County's first women's shelter, GFRM decided to look elsewhere.
The Geauga Faith Rescue Mission announced via a press release that it had pulled out of a proposal to build its second shelter in Geauga County, just a few days after it voluntarily hosted a jam-packed feedback session at the Munson Town Hall that featured outcry from residents.
"After listening to community feedback regarding the proposed women's mission on Bean and Auburn roads, GFRM has decided to begin searching for another location," a press release read.
Since early 2023, the Christian nonprofit had been seeking land to develop their next shelter space, in collaboration with the Sisters of Notre Dame, a followup to GFRM's men's shelter house on Washington Street in Chardon. For months, GFRM had its eyes set on an abandoned preschool on Auburn Road in Munson, plans that had drawn a storm of concerns from homeowners in the area.
Mark Oprea
Many Munson residents were concerned at last week's town hall that the shelter would put their lives in danger. "I'm going to probably be putting a target on my back," one woman said. "But this is my backyard, and I can't have somebody come into my neighborhood who has connections to a variety of communities."
GFRM Executive Director Nathan Long, who endured many comments fueled by fear and anxiety at Tuesday's town hall, told Scene in a phone call that refocusing the site search was done primarily to avoid any further vitriol from Munsonites.
As for the concerns heard last week—that hosting homeless on Auburn would depreciate property values, or put children in danger—Long still isn't convinced they're justified. After all, in 15 months of operation near Chardon Square, GFRM's men's shelter hasn't reported, Long said, one incident of crime.
"But perception is one thing. I mean, either the community wants something or they don’t," he said. "And we’re not trying to force something in the community that doesn’t want it."
Comments online and in-person fanned the flames of unfounded fears.
"You do not want the inner city coming to our county," one resident said. "This will be like a cancer."
"I can't have somebody come into my neighborhood who has connections to a variety of communities," said another.
There has been no secondary site chosen for GFRM's next proposal, although, Long said, the goal is to grow such women's shelter in Geauga County, ideally in the Chardon area.
Sister Margaret Gorman, of the Sisters of Notre Dame, said she believes that GFRM's honesty in the whole ordeal—voluntarily hosting a town hall to calm the tension—could leave an impression on future residents.
"Remember, they postponed the zoning meeting to help people understand," Sister Gorman told Scene, recalling GFRM's then-needed approval by Munson's Board of Directors. "They were trying to be good neighbors. And they were. They listened to people. I think they demonstrated their willingness to work with the community."
Long said he's up for suggestions and referrals. And, he told Scene, he harbors no ill will towards those in Munson that, through online threats or direct accusations, drove him and GFRM elsewhere.
"I don’t personalize it," he told Scene. "They don’t know me. They don’t know my heart."
Subscribe to Cleveland Scene newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
