Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 23, 1990 TAG: 9003221933
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER
SOURCE: KIM SUNDERLAND CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
What they fear most is that agencies cannot fix the problem before it gets worse.
"With hiring freezes at Virginia Tech, layoffs at AT&T and other places, and the overall state of the economy in the area, many fear that homelessness will get worse," said board president Greg Boardman of the Montgomery County Community Shelter.
The shelter has targeted March for critical fund-raising efforts to "shine a light on the problem of homelessness in Montgomery County," said Boardman, also a Virginia Tech professor.
According to the shelter's data, homelessness in the New River Valley has tripled in 10 years.
"During the cold spells [of 1989], we had 20 to 30 families seeking housing in one month," said Boardman. "It's very frustrating when you can only help one family at a time."
The community group has only one trailer in Blacksburg to shelter homeless people. Money raised by the group is being used to remodel a new shelter at 710 Roanoke St. in Christiansburg to create space by September for three families.
Mary Ellen Verdu, director of the Montgomery County Department of Social Services, said in an earlier interview that families need separate housing to provide stability for their children.
"American society does not have low-cost, decent housing anymore," Verdu said. "A family shouldn't be in the same kind of shelter as a drug addict, for instance, and this creates more of a social issue that's more complex."
Montgomery County Community Shelter is trying to help families in this area. The company, non-profit and tax exempt, is trying to raise $100,000 but has pocketed only $3,620 in the past two weeks.
"We are in a tremendous economic downturn here," said Cheryl Champion, New River Community Action program and planning director. "Everyone is tapped out" from donating money to other organizations].
Champion, who is on loan to the shelter group to help with fund-raising, said 2,500 brochures have been sent to doctors, lawyers, retailers, real-estate agents and restaurateurs to seek help. They in turn will ask their peers and colleagues for more help.
"It's using peer pressure and guilt to raise money for this cause," said Champion. "And it's been hard to find people to assist."
Although donations are slow in coming, Champion said feedback has been good and she remains optimistic. She said awareness of the group's existence has been raised and such donations as building materials, furniture and labor have been offered.
A pancake breakfast is scheduled 8-11 a.m. Saturday at Blacksburg Baptist Church. A celebration luncheon with Del. Joan Munford, D-Blacksburg, speaking, will be held at Blacksburg Holiday Inn March 29 at 11:30 a.m. Call 382-6186 for details.
"There's a lot of energy out there," said Boardman. "We've got to keep things moving. No one deserves to be without shelter."
by CNB