Goodbye Winter/ Hello Spring!!
Goodbye Winter
I apologize for not updating this web page sooner; this is due to my difficulty in finding the right words to say what needs to be said rather than simply reporting on our statistics or our progress. Statistics are great and necessary for funding and planning purposes but if we fail to recognize that these stats are representations of real people with real hopes and real struggles then we have missed something important.
This winter has been a difficult one for many reasons. One reason is that we became infested with bed bugs sometime last fall and we are still dealing with the infestation. Imagine, if you can, sleeping night after night while being attacked by bedbugs that you can barely see but you can certainly feel. I have seen the frustration of our clients and I have seen the welts on their bodies due to repeated biting. I have watched clients blame one another for the infestation and have held several meetings where I have had to tell them this is not their fault, they do not deserve this, and we are doing everything we can to eliminate the problem. Doing everything we can has included several exterminations, discarding and replacing all blankets, and then several more exterminations; all to no avail.
Just before, or during, our bed bug infestation we were hit with the Noro virus. This resulted in three weeks of people falling ill with a stomach virus and symptoms that clearly reminded us of our lack in bathroom space, let alone staff and other resources, as some individuals could do little more than hug our too few toilets while others were getting sick in trash cans or our outside our doors and staff were calling out sick while subs were going home sick.
We had two clients pass away. One was ill and in hospice and the other called us for a ride when she returned to town after work and she died of a massive heart attack before we got to her. This client worked but had no medical insurance. She had not been seen by a doctor in nearly 20 years. She earned too much money to obtain free medical assistance and not enough to pay for it on her own.
The shelter, let alone the nature of homelessness itself, is a roller coaster of conflicting emotions often vying for release simultaneously. The role of the CHOC is to offer safety while meeting the basic needs of those we serve until appropriate housing can be found and to do so in the sometimes chaotic environment that the CHOC can be. The sooner that housing can be located the better. Better for those we serve because they will not have to succumb to the illnesses that come from communal living nor have to adjust to living without privacy or sleeping face to face with a stranger; better for staff because we won’t have to live with the idea that our best is not good enough for the long run. Though our best keeps getting better we are still not home nor should we be. The previously mentioned issues are too common in communal living situations and they (the CHOC and other emergency shelters) therefore should be as short term as possible for those who find themselves needing them. In order for that to happen though, there must be affordable housing available for folks to move into.
Hello Spring
Recognizing these realities and the fact that housing, not shelter, ends homelessness, Montgomery County leadership in partnership with the many agencies charged with serving homeless people is developing more affordable housing for low income families and individuals. Some CHOC residents will benefit from this new housing while others will benefit from the housing that will be vacated as others benefit from the new. Either way, the increased availability for housing will be greatly appreciated and is sorely needed.
Over the past few months we once again saw several long-term residents transition to their own apartments. This is cause for celebration but has also shown us that other housing options are still necessary. Some of those that moved from us were extremely hesitant about doing so. They made it very clear to us that they did not want to live alone. It is evident that not everyone desires to live on their own. Some desire and are seeking to live in and among a caring community especially if they have few or no family and social connections to rely on and relate to. Hopefully Montgomery County’s future will include the development of a Safe Haven to complement its available housing options.
This has been a bit long winded and I did not get to mention some of the other great things that are in the works or update you on kitchen progress. I will do this in the next update which I promise will come sooner rather than later. There is much more to tell you about and I am running out of space but if I had it I would update you on the kitchen and volunteer peer support program, I would also tell you about the new grants we have applied for and the new staff we will soon be hiring as a result of getting those grants. I would also tell you about our plans (though yet not realized) to partner with Norristown Borough to help improve Norristown and assist a few community members with obtaining medical benefits in the process. I would also tell you about our interns and new volunteers and show you pictures of the murals that have been painted on our walls. But… I have run out of space.
In the meantime please consider helping us by making a donation through the link on this web page. Donated funds go directly to client needs such as tokens for transportation, repair and/or replacement of washer and dryer, and recreational activities such as bowling nights or other events that bring some fun into the lives of those we serve. Also, if you have any ideas on how we could continue to impact and include our community in positive and beneficial ways that will continue to give people hope, opportunity, friendship and encouragement with ending their homelessness and or assisting them from returning to homelessness in the future please send them as we are always open to input and ideas.
