THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502090185
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: KALEIDOSCOPE: THE HOMELESS
SOURCE: BY HAZEL WHITNEY
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
Approximately eight years ago, an emergency winter shelter program was started in Virginia Beach by Norfolk-based St. Columba Ecumenical Ministries. People were on the streets in need of shelter. The citizens and City Council claimed we did not have a homeless population in Virginia Beach. So the emergency shelter program provided food for several hundred people each winter on a shoestring budget and, with the help of houses of worship across the city, made sure those without homes did not freeze to death on our streets.
The issue of homelessness is complex. Just as the problems that lead to homelessness are many and varied, so are the solutions. What will work for some will not work for others.
For example, the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center on Virginia Beach Boulevard cannot accommodate all the homeless of Virginia Beach. Their requirements for admission prevent many of those who need shelter from being admitted. The JCOC does well for those who come with appropriate identification and who are willing to work to make important changes in their lives. They are to be commended for their work; it is important and effective.
The problem is it does not meet the needs of many of our homeless population. Due to deinstitutionalization during the '70s, there are many mentally ill on our streets; most are not dangerous but they cannot cope in today's society and are unable to fend for themselves.
Then we have those in crisis situations who have no money, no identification and nowhere to go for the night. We also have substance abusers out there who need help, either from the city's detoxification center or, if they are sober, from the emergency shelter.
A recent letter to the Beacon criticized the winter shelter program, claiming it provides no incentive to participants to make necessary changes toward self-sufficiency. Since the program began, all those involved in it have dreamed, prayed, begged City Council, city officials and anyone who would listen to help us to do the job properly.
During 1991-92 only, a one-year grant provided daytime comprehensive services for participants; many received counseling, job training, health care, etc. Despite all efforts, funds have not been available to continue. The winter shelter program is run by Volunteers of America, which provides professional staff who care deeply for those in their care. Many of the staff are employed in other human-service programs and bring their special gifts and expertise with them. Time limitations make provision of services difficult. Intake is from 6:30 to 9 p.m., when transportation is provided to a host church or synagogue where the homeless will be sheltered until 7 a.m. During the evening, a Recovery Center detox worker is available. The Division of Social Services Resource Unit is present once a week to provide employment counseling or to assist in other housing resources. A mental-health worker from Comprehensive Mental Health Services is available each evening, and a nurse practitioner from the Beach Health Clinic is on hand once a week.
From 7 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. each day, these people are on the street or working at low-paying jobs.
Most houses of worship do not have shower facilities. It is hard to get a job if you are unable to bathe and put on clean clothes prior to an interview.
Major problems are created by the need to transport 40 to 60 people across the city twice a day. Gas and auto repairs are expensive. What do you do when the bus is broken down?
A permanent location is vital. A permanent site would provide a more comprehensive and consistent approach to solving the individual problems of the homeless person. A permanent site would allow various agencies and resources to be accessed for support and training during normal business hours.
We challenge all who are concerned enough to work to solve the problem of homelessness in our city to come forward and, in the spirit of cooperation, help us find solutions and assistance for the less fortunate of our human family. As I have had the opportunity over the years to listen to the stories of those served by the winter shelter program, I have been reminded of a phrase my mother often used: ``There but for the grace of God go I.'' In these hard economic times, who knows when one of us, or someone we love, may need help. MEMO: Ms. Whitney is a member of the Winter Shelter Task Force in Virginia
Beach.
by CNB