MONROE - It started in late 2015 with a six-month lease and the hope to help some men find a place for safe shelter, possibly shower and provide a space for laundry and restful sleep through a program that helped them find area housing.

Meant to only last over the winter months, the Monroe-based warming shelter opened in January 2016 and quickly grew from a place for men to stay overnight during the cold months to a facility aimed toward helping individuals retain steady work and a stable home.

The Men's Resource Center of Green County began through work by Rick Gleason, director of Family Promise of Green County. While the family-oriented program helps groups of people, Gleason noted there were few resources for single men in the county who need aid for a variety of reasons.

"It's got to be goal-driven," said Gleason, a former homeless vet himself. "If it's just a flop house, if it's just a drop-in shelter, all we're doing is enabling them to continue living in that way, but we really want to help them move up to the next level. Help them get out of the rut and get back into having their own housing and a job and things."

In 2016, the center served 21 men. Since they began Gleason said 17 of the men did not necessarily stay in the building run on an entirely volunteer basis, but he and other board members were able to help in other ways.

One case included a veteran who was having trouble with his landlord because of angry behavior. The man received a 30-day notice from his landlord in Monroe. Upon further investigation, Gleason said they found out the veteran was experiencing new side effects from medications because health care through Veteran Affairs had changed them.

Rather than the veteran finding himself on the street without housing, Gleason and others on the board intervened, speaking with the property owner and allowing the veteran to find a perfect place to live in just over a month. Gleason still corresponds with him and noted the man continues to fare well.

Volunteers help run the location, roughly a dozen right now, Gleason said. The facility runs on a $10,000 annual budget. The board, which oversees the center, is comprised of people who give their time. Gleason noted a former user of the center became a volunteer before recently relocating.

Currently, Gleason and fellow board members Dave Olsen and Dave Burkhalter, contend that the center operates well, despite the small number of people who stay in the center as volunteers. Still, it's not all about simply giving people a place to stay.

"Staying here is actually the last resort," Burkhalter said. "People ask me, 'well you know, how many people have you had in the center this year?' And that's not a fair question, because Rick is the intermediary. He can find them jobs, he can find them housing, he can find them help through Alcoholics Anonymous ... he can pull the strings to get things happening for these people."

Though the setup exists to help, all three noted that keeping people in their current housing, including helping with job acquisition skills, like resume writing, is the primary goal. Specifically, by focusing on homelessness prevention within the county and area rather than operating a shelter with people staying consistently. Five people stayed at the center since it opened for the winter season Nov. 1.

"As a volunteer myself, I have found it very personally rewarding," Burkhalter said. "I get back much more from the program than I give."

Though the facility began as an endeavor geared toward helping men, the center has helped with other causes. Gleason said following the sale of Believers Fellowship church, Family Promise of Green County families were hosted twice this year, a week at a time, at the resource center. The site is also used for the congregation each week.

While Gleason, Burkhalter and Olsen said a few more volunteers would be nice, remarking that once people give it a try they will fully understand the experience, the people who do help run the center are dedicated individuals. The center works with local law enforcement to ensure no one with a violent record or an active substance abuse problem can stay for safety reasons. Some who utilize drug-treatment programs find the center a comfort, knowing a stable place to stay is guaranteed once finished with treatment.

Another situation involved a Monticello man who owns a service dog. Gleason said the man's landlord gave him an eviction notice because of a no-pets clause in the lease, but the Fair Housing Act allows for such animals. The goal of the center is to allow the man to stay in his place of residence.

"But, you know, a lot of people don't know where to turn for that help," Gleason said. "And even when they do find out, it's not user-friendly. It's so many hoops to jump through, people get frustrated and just give up."