Grace House Annual Meeting

The Grace House of Itasca County Board of Directors held its’ annual meeting recently and re-elected board members Jim Crecelius and Andy Morgan to a three-year term and Mac McKinney to a two-year term. Jessi Bloom was elected to her first term filling the position held by Tom Fasteland for the past nine years. The board thanked Tom for his interest, passion and support of our mission.

Board members help to serve and guide the mission of the organization, other board members include Megan Hilback, Luke St. Germain, Sarah Tonn, Tracey Howg and Angie Tanner. “All board members have passion and interest in our mission and the work we do” said Ron Oleheiser, executive director.

The Grace House mission is, “to provide safe, temporary shelter for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness and connect them to community resources”.

The following board members were elected officers for 2026: Jim Crecelius-President; Luke St. Germain-Vice President; Andy Morgan-Secretary and Angie Tanner-Treasurer. Committee chairs appointed include Angie Tanner-finance; Megan Hilback-board development; Jim Crecelius-fundraising, Andy Morgan-building & grounds.

Individuals interested in Grace House and its mission are encouraged to be involved on a committee or the board and can do this by calling Grace House, 326-2790. Volunteers are extremely important to the success of Grace House serving 2,408 hours in 2025 and are needed for overnight shifts as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal shifts.

At the annual meeting, the board reviewed the previously approved 2026 budget and approved the annual board calendar, which included the date for the 20th annual “Home Is Where the Heart Is” Dinner Fundraiser for Thursday, December 3, 2026. The board also reviewed the job posting for a new executive director, our current director, Ron Oleheiser announced his plans to retire in July 2025 and will leave his position on June 30, 2026.

In 2025 Grace House served 116 guests, providing them with 4,187 nights of shelter and 5,165 meals. Grace House completed its expansion and remodel in April 2025, which provides us with twenty-beds in sixteen private rooms each with their own restroom. We provide shelter for families and individuals who are homeless and in need of safe, temporary shelter and meals. Our numbers served in 2025 are low due to having limited beds available in the first quarter.

The Grace House vision is to decrease homelessness in Itasca County, and we support our guests by Giving Hospitality, Rest & Renewal, Access to Resources, Compassion and Empowerment for the Future.

Grace House of Itasca County was established in 2006 with the support of Action through Churches Together (ACT), area churches and several agencies providing services for people who were homeless. Grace House is located at 501 SW 1st Ave in Grand Rapids, providing housing, food, and respite. Grace House is an independent nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer nine-member board of directors. Grace House is open seven days a week with a staff of twelve and a volunteer base of seventy-five, all dedicated to serving the needs of people experiencing homelessness in Itasca County.

The Grace House board, staff, volunteers and most importantly the guests thank all the individuals, businesses, churches, organizations, regional foundations, Dept of Human Services, Blandin Foundation and Itasca County Health & Human Services for contributions and assistance toward fulfilling the organization’s mission.

Executive Director Oleheiser can be reached at 326-2790 or by email ron@gracehousemn.org or visit our website, www.gracehousemn.org