THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 16, 1996 TAG: 9609160077
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEWIS KRAUSKOPF, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 33 lines
Mothers Against Crime is taking on another cause: homelessness.
The Norfolk non-profit organization signed a contract last week to purchase a home in Park Place. The building will be used as a transitional shelter for six homeless families, said Reggie Sands, the group's marketing director.
``It's a crime to be homeless,'' Sands said. ``We want to show the citizens what we can do.''
The group put $1 down on the house and has six months to raise $72,000 to buy it. In a meeting Wednesday, MAC plans to ask Assistant City Manager Sterling Cheatham and other city officials for advice on how to raise the money, Sands said.
Sands hopes the dollars will provide enough for a part-time, day-care nurse so the mothers can look for work.
``We want to run a top-of-the-line homeless shelter,'' he said.
MAC has agreed with Pizazz nightclub on Granby Street to hold at least one dance for teen-agers to raise money. Teen-agers will pay about a $5 cover charge to get into Pizazz, where they would be able to win prizes donated by local merchants, Sands said.
The event, for which Sands hopes to get police officers and other authority figures to speak, will provide an alternative to a night on the streets, Sands said.
``We're providing a safe environment, a safe haven,'' he said.
If the first event - set for be Oct. 12 - succeeds, more parties on ensuing Saturdays will follow. All proceeds will go to the shelter.
KEYWORDS: HOMELESS SHELTER NORFOLK by CNB