WORKSHOP ON HELPING HOMELESS SCHEDULED

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 3, 1992                   TAG: 9201030213
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Short
WORKSHOP ON HELPING HOMELESS SCHEDULED
Want to know more about how to get involved with helping the many homeless families in Montgomery County?
A workshop on Jan. 11, 1-5 p.m., will offer basic information about the homeless situation in the county and give hands-on information on how the public and local churches can help.
The workshop will be held at the Blacksburg Baptist Church on North Main Street and is being sponsored by Montgomery County Community Shelter Inc., which operates a local shelter for needy families.
Montgomery County Community Shelter, founded by concerned people from a number of county churches, began helping needy families in 1987. The group first offered transitional housing in a rented trailer and in March 1991, opened its current shelter in Christiansburg, which houses three families at a time.
The shelter has been full since opening and many families have been turned away. More help is needed.
Many local churches have volunteered to serve as host churches, taking turns accepting the responsibility for looking after the needs of a single family in the shelter. The needs vary and include anything from transportation to a job interview, to helping to look for permanent housing, or donating clothing or baby-sitting time.
The workshop will give information on how you can form a host church program or what to do if a church is already involved in the program. You will also learn what you as an individual can do to help solve the problem. For more information, call Jeanne Howard at 951-7047 or New River Community Action at 382-6186.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB