Lainey
10-24-14, 8:50pm
Volunteered to do a dinner service at a homeless shelter this past week. They serve a population of small families and single women (single men are at another shelter), about 180 total people. Food was decent enough and the recipients were grateful for our help.
Afterwards we got a tour, and I saw how shabby and grim the place was. In what looks like a former gym there were rows of cots for the single women, and then two small seating areas on either end with TVs. Bedding is provided but is pretty worn out. On the other side of the building are office-type cubicles for the families. In the middle is a kitchen and a fenced area where they store donated clothing, shoes, and kitchenware to give to those who transition to an apt. The whole place could do with being refreshed with paint and everything else, but it still would be pretty dispiriting to stay there.
It's located in an industrial part of town behind a barbed-wire fence and gate. There's a parking area on one side and a paved lot on the other. There's not a single green living thing anywhere on the property: no trees, bushes, plants outside and nothing green inside. There are no pets, no computers, no radios, no communal coffee or tea pot, and almost all of the lighting I saw was fluorescent overhead lighting.
Single residents must leave by 6 AM, and can't return til I think around 4 pm or so. Families are allowed to stay indoors.
The staff were friendly and thankful for us volunteers, but also seemed a little worn out.
It was eye-opening to see this behind the scenes look, and also made me want to at least sort through my kitchenware and linens to see if I could donate anything. As we left one of the volunteers said she does this because she thinks "There but for the grace of god ..."
Afterwards we got a tour, and I saw how shabby and grim the place was. In what looks like a former gym there were rows of cots for the single women, and then two small seating areas on either end with TVs. Bedding is provided but is pretty worn out. On the other side of the building are office-type cubicles for the families. In the middle is a kitchen and a fenced area where they store donated clothing, shoes, and kitchenware to give to those who transition to an apt. The whole place could do with being refreshed with paint and everything else, but it still would be pretty dispiriting to stay there.
It's located in an industrial part of town behind a barbed-wire fence and gate. There's a parking area on one side and a paved lot on the other. There's not a single green living thing anywhere on the property: no trees, bushes, plants outside and nothing green inside. There are no pets, no computers, no radios, no communal coffee or tea pot, and almost all of the lighting I saw was fluorescent overhead lighting.
Single residents must leave by 6 AM, and can't return til I think around 4 pm or so. Families are allowed to stay indoors.
The staff were friendly and thankful for us volunteers, but also seemed a little worn out.
It was eye-opening to see this behind the scenes look, and also made me want to at least sort through my kitchenware and linens to see if I could donate anything. As we left one of the volunteers said she does this because she thinks "There but for the grace of god ..."