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Managing Editor SOUTH END It was only 8 p.m. on July 6 and from the outside one couldn't tell that there was anything going on in the basement of the now closed St. Joseph's Church on Howard Street. The only noises were the sounds from the highway and there were just two cars in the parking lot. A small sign directing people to the entrance was the only evidence outside that,since July 1, The Warming Place homeless shelter had been operating from that basement which used to be the site of bingo games. In the basement of St. Joseph's Church, though, there was plenty of activity. There were about 40 people there already, some were watching a television set up on the stage, while others were making their beds. A few were already in bed, reading or sleeping. There was coffee on at the small kitchen in the corner of the basement and on three circular tables there were piles of clothes for people to go through. The homeless shelter opened at the church on July 1 amid fears that the influx of homeless people to the South End would have a negative impact on a neighborhood that is already fighting street crime. Dominic Sarno, a member of the City Council and the executive director of the South End Community Center, had been carefully watching what was happening down the street from the Center. "I have not seen any negative impact, no negative repercussions," Sarno told Reminder Publications during an interview on Hot Talk with Tony Gill. He added, though, he thinks the fact that the shelter will be moving from the church at the end of August and into the gym at the former York Street Jail is "a good thing." He commended Jack Maloney of the CYO Basketball League for giving up the use of the gym for a year to accommodate the city as it searches for a permanent solution for more shelter space. He admitted that the jail is "not a site I'm crazy about" because of its proximity to the tourist area around the Basketball Hall of Fame. *** Although Linda Randall, the program director of The Warming Place, said that use of the shelter has been "pretty high for the summer" on July 5, 67 people slept there she added that there are more homeless people who are not using neither The Warming Place nor the Friends of the Homeless Shelter on Worthington Street. She said there are homeless who would rather stay away from the shelters and live on the bank of the Connecticut River. The basement has been divided into two areas one for men and one for women. Men outnumber homeless women by more than two to one and the women's area is divided by short temporary plywood walls that prevent men and women from seeing one another when in bed. Randall said that even though a married couple might be using the shelter, they can not sleep together nor sleep in the same section. She estimated that, of the men at the shelter, about one-third of them are longer-term residents while the remainder are transient. Single people and couples are not the only ones who use the shelter. Randall said there is an adult family of a mother, a son and two daughters who came from New York City to live with family members locally. The situation changed and they found themselves without a place to stay. They are now making plans to move back to New York, and Randall said, "They won't stay very long [here]." Randall said there are four pregnant women using the shelter currently, as well. Right now, the plastic covered mattresses are on the floor. There's a pile of iron beds that will be cleaned and installed shortly, said Randall. Once the beds are up, there will be better air circulation and a place for long-term residents to store their belongings during the day. There is constant supervision at the shelter, Randall explained, with two shifts covering the operation time of 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. For a person to use the shelter, they must fill out a form that lists vital information such as name, Social Security number and whether or not the person is a veteran. This intake form allows Randall and her staff to do an assessment in order to make a referral to other social service agencies that might give a person the help he or she needs to get off the streets. At the intake, there is also the distribution of the shelter's rules and a comprehensive list of services in the city for low-income people and the homeless, and a map to show how to reach them. If the person is not fluent in English, a translator will explain the rules to them. The Warming Place is operated by Open Pantry Community Services and the agency also has the Open Door program at its State Street offices which offers people housing searches, referrals to employment programs and supportive counseling, among other services. The Warming Place is not a "dry" shelter and some people do come in intoxicated. They are allowed to do so, provided they are not belligerent or threatening. If they are, they are removed, Randall said. Persistent unacceptable behavior can result in a permanent ban, she added. The shelter only had two violent episodes all winter and she said that "most folks want to live in a peaceful environment." Randall explained that the shelter has a policy that a resident can only leave one time once they've checked in for the night: however, every half-hour there's a smoking break outside the building at which most of the residents file out with a shelter employee. Randall said that she has been working at the shelter since Oct. 21 and that "it amazes me that every night there is someone new." Since October, over 500 people (in an unduplicated count) have used The Warming Place. Despite that number, Randall and her staff get to know the residents personally. It's evident as they greet people by name and ask them questions that have to do with their situation. She said there are people with substance abuse problems and with mental illnesses that fit the stereotype many people have of the homeless. However, she said that "homelessness is a condition, not the definition." She said that there are several regular residents who are employed and others who seek day labor at agencies in Springfield. There have been several working homeless who saved their money through the winter in order to have the first and last month payment for an apartment. She said that saving enough money for those payments is what prevents many homeless from getting off the streets. Looking around at the residents, some having coffee, others asleep, while others were quietly talking, Randall said "we're just a microcosm [of society] and people don't see us as that." The Warming Place is in need of blankets, sheets, snack items and deodorant. Call Randall at 335-0282 for more information. | ||||||
