EATON COUNTY, Mich. (WLNS) – The Siren/Eaton shelter in Charlotte works to improve the quality of life for many people throughout the county – specifically homeless people and domestic violence victims.

Now, the organization is in need.

According to Carrie Combs, the group’s emergency shelter and hotel case manager, SIREN/Eaton can use all the money it can get to help the people it serves.

“All of the finances are just nowhere to be found and we still need to get these people where they need to go in their next step,” Combs said,

Officials with the organization said a routine internal audit revealed that someone had taken money, forcing leaders to launch a GoFundMe.

“We just happened to find this ourselves, in which we then turned it over to the proper authorities. It may take several months to determine the actual dollar amount. The $300,000 is padding to get us through the next several months,” Outreach Coordinator Tracie Socey said.

Leaders said the money raised would help save the group’s domestic violence emergency shelter and fund its hotel program for homeless services and transitional housing among other programs.

“Opportunity houses are our domestic violence emergency shelter site so that’s pretty much one of our only liquid assets at this time and we’re trying to avoid having to sell that,” Socey said.

Socey said the attorney general’s office is investigating.

In the meantime, other leaders have stepped up to manage the shelter’s finances.

Despite this unfortunate situation, leaders said that they are depending on the community to help get the shelter back on track.

“Siren Shelter is the only Eaton County shelter both for homeless and domestic violence services. We’re crucial to the community and if we close our doors the community is going to be at a major loss,” Combs said.

6 News did reach out to the attorney general’s office, and they told us they were unable to comment on ongoing investigations.

The shelter says its accepting applications to fill the role of Executive Director.

To donate to the shelter’s Gofundme, click here.