With compassion, Clarice McKenzie has befriended a woman detained at the immigration detention facility in Baldwin, Michigan, and regularly visits her and prays for her release.
KAY DEMOSS
Michigan Conference Communications
How far is it from Bethlehem to Bitely? For Clarice McKenzie, not so far. When asked what motivated her to stand alone on the highway in Bitely, Michigan, on June 14, 2025, during the first nationwide “No Kings” protest, Clarice recalled that her father used to read the story of Artaban, The Other Wise Man, every Christmas. That was 90 years ago, but the compassionate acts of that old sage taught young Clarice the value of caring for those in need.
Artaban never made it to the manger, but Clarice’s heart for social justice has led her on an engaging faith journey with Jesus. For years, she has championed the environment and advanced social action for United Women in Faith. For the past three months, Clarice’s love for others has centered on a new friendship with Gloria, a Nigerian woman detained at the North Lake Processing Center near Baldwin, Michigan.
North Lake, owned by the for-profit prison corporation GEO Group, opened in spring 2025 as a processing center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It is the largest immigrant detention facility in the Midwest and the second-largest in the nation.
So how did Clarice, a resident of Clark Retirement Community (and the owner of a summer cottage in Bitely), meet Gloria? It began in a Sunday school class at Grand Rapids: Trinity UMC. Dale Dalman, a retired Evangelical Covenant Church pastor, served as the guest speaker that morning. Dalman shared stories from his visits to North Lake and about a new volunteer group, Hope For Neighbors.
Hope For Neighbors connects visitors with the 1,500 neighbors detained at North Lake. They paired Clarice with Gloria. Hope For Neighbors also facilitates letter writing and phone calls and arranges transportation for those released. Upon release, individuals are taken to Covenant Community UMC in Baldwin, where they receive supplies, shoes, and clothing. Read more about Covenant Community UMC’s practice of radical hospitality through their Helping Hands ministry.
Clarice’s first visit occurred in late May. She was only the second visitor Gloria had during the five months of detention at North Lake. Clarice learned that Gloria, her husband, and five children, ages 5-17, had been living in Detroit for ten years before Gloria was taken to Baldwin. She has not seen her family over these many weeks. Clarice also learned that Gloria is Catholic and that she and her husband were employed, but she does not know why ICE took Gloria from her home.
Clarice shares, “While I would like to know why Gloria was picked up, we are encouraged not to ask. If the neighbor offers, you can listen and talk about it.” The main purpose of the visits is compassion, not politics. “I openly express my concerns about her detention and how she is treated,” Clarice adds.
“We talked about her two older boys playing basketball,” Clarice says. “I found out they have no relatives from Nigeria here in the United States. Gloria feels supported by her faith and her church.” Reading her Bible, watching television, and having time outdoors make up Gloria’s day. “We sang a couple of hymns together,” Clarice recalls.
Clarice saw Gloria again on July 9, along with two other people from Trinity UMC, who happened to arrive at North Lake to see a person who had already been discharged. “On my second visit, Gloria expressed hope of getting out,” Clarice says. However, Clarice is unaware of any assistance she may be receiving to make that happen. Clarice looks forward to future visits with Gloria even while she prays daily for Gloria’s release.
Clarice made another new friend during her first visit to North Lake. “I arrived and looked at the building. Where do I go in? Then another woman drove up, and she said, ‘Come with me.’” That woman was Betsy Coffia, representing the Traverse City region in the Michigan House of Representatives. Rep. Coffia helped Clarice sign in and showed her the procedures. Clarice then waited her turn to visit Gloria for the first time. “I saw Betsy come out. I asked, ‘Do you need a hug?’ She did.” They connected. “I think she was fascinated that someone my age cared enough to be doing this,” Clarice smiles.
Coffia informed Clarice how to get involved in protests being held around the facility. “There’s a group that stands by the road, expressing care for the neighbors inside,” Clarice explains. “And a smaller group comes every Saturday to yell at the staff going in and out.” Clarice prefers the gentler approach.
Clarice describes that experience: “One woman wore a shirt that said, ‘Share God’s Love,’ while she was shouting at the employees. When I went the second time, I thanked all the employees I met. Show a little appreciation. Maybe they will be kinder?”
Coffia put a reporter in touch with Clarice. An article soon appeared in the Glen Arbor Sun. “All from a hug,” Clarice laughs.
How was she prepared for this moment? Clarice was shaped by the values of Jesus and John Wesley, growing up as a preacher’s kid. Some may remember her father, Rev. Ralph Harper. In her retirement years, she became involved in farmworker issues as a snowbird in Florida. “I learned to protest there beside the pickers of tomatoes and strawberries,” she remarks. Her mobile home community organized Christmas for the workers each year “to let them know we care about you.” In the summer months, she was back home in Michigan, serving as chair of Social Action for Conference United Methodist Women (the predecessor of United Women in Faith) for eight years. That was after years of being nurtured in justice issues and faith formation, going back to the era of WSCS (Women’s Society of Christian Service).
Clarice McKenzie is an example of how one is never too old to be a prophet. “Jesus came to help us understand what God wants us to be,” she reflects. “The message is very clear in both the Old and New Testaments. Feed the hungry. Clothe the poor. Visit the sick and those in prison. And especially, share God’s love with all. That’s what I am about.”
Clarice helps lead Bible study at Clark Retirement Community’s Franklin campus, where she has lived since 2018. “When you keep learning at age 90, you gain new understandings,” she says. “The Holy Spirit just keeps motivating me,” she concludes.
The publication of this article was made possible thanks to generous financial gifts from local United Methodist churches in Michigan through Ministry Shares. Thank you! Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on August 11, 2026