WENATCHEE — The Gospel House mission will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to show off its newly completed homeless shelter and thank the community for its generous support. The shelter officially opens to the homeless Monday.

“The community really poured out their help for this,” said Bob Rogers, director of Lighthouse Christian Ministries, the nonprofit organization that coordinated and oversees the shelter.

Lighthouse started the project in late 2011 when Rogers and his staff became aware of the number of homeless people in the area who were not eligible or did not want to stay in other shelters with strict requirements. Extensive remodeling of the leased storefront at 810 S. Wenatchee Ave. progressed more slowly than expected because the project did not qualify for city and state grants, largely because Lighthouse Ministries does not participate in a statewide homeless tracking program. Rogers said the program is an invasion of privacy for many homeless who prefer to remain nameless. The City of Wenatchee distributed $800,000 in county and state grants last November to relieve homelessness in the area, but turned down a request for $84,000 to help finish and operate the Gospel House shelter.

“There’s a huge homeless population who aren’t being served,” Rogers said. “The reason why is that they can’t comply.”

Rogers said there are other shelters that are only half full, but there are still hundreds of people who can’t, or won’t, stay there because they have alcohol or addiction problems, or simply don’t want to comply with certain rules and regulations. Many homeless people have mental problems or are military veterans who have a difficult time being inside, he said. Homelessness is something new and unexpected to others, due to a downturn in the economy and foreclosure. Most other shelters won’t take entire families.

Lighthouse put out a plea for help from the community and the community responded. Nearly $40,000 was raised in the past couple of months — including one $15,000 donation — to purchase laundry equipment, beds and mattresses and to open the doors of the shelter. Over $120,000 has been raised for the project in the past year, plus thousands of dollars in donated materials and volunteer hours, Rogers said.

The 8,000-square-foot building will house up to 85 people a night. Men will bunk on the bottom floor. Women and children will sleep on an upper level. The shelter will offer night-to-night emergency beds where men, women and children can get out of the cold and sleep until they can find a more permanent living situation. People who are unruly or obviously intoxicated won’t be admitted, Rogers said. Lighthouse Ministries offers meals for the homeless at its mission at 526 S. Wenatchee Ave.

A nominal fee of about $10 per person a night will be charged to those who can pay. Rogers said he’s still hoping people will help sponsor families who may need to stay at the shelter for extended periods.

For more information or to contribute, call 664-6775.

Rick Steigmeyer: 664-7151

steigmeyer@wenatcheeworld.com