Yes it is scary
Happy Halloween! I just wanted everyone to know how scary it is out there. I never imagined. At work today, I had the opportunity to take some donations to the Road Home Shelter. It was eye opening to say the least. We took 4 car/truck loads to shelter. It was crazy. While we were there a group showed up with some juices, yogurts, and other dairy products. We helped them unload as well.
It felt good to know that I was helping out. I know that our family could have done more. We probably should have. I think I shared the moments when I was moved to clean out my closet. When we were done, they asked if we would like to take a tour of the facilities to see what they do there. We started out with the family area. Before we could even go in, they had to get on the intercom and let all the residents know that there was a tour going on.
There are currently 35 families staying in the facility. They get a dorm room to live it. There can only be one family per room, so if you have a family of 6 you all sleep in the same room. That is all you get. There is no TV, phone, or privacy in your room. There is a mini library down the hall that you can go to. However, every evening they have volunteers come in with activities, so it is not always quited. There is a lounge where you can watch one TV with the other 31 families in the facility, but you don't always get to watch what you want.
Dinner looked to be interesting as well. 4 families share one refrigerator. They have a lock on it and each family has a key. There are 8 stoves to cook one or ovens to cook in. You then get to take your food to the dining hall that consists of 12 or so metal picnic tables. They said that most of the families are there because they just can't make it any more. They have jobs and stuff like that, but if the rent goes up or some one gets sick, they don't have the types of jobs that will give them medical benefits. Most of the parents income is going to pay for medical expenses. The children are then left in the shelter while the are working. They have after school programs, but it does not look like much fun. They also have groups come in and share meals with the families. If they are running low on food, they can participate when a group comes in. This happens about twice a week. The is a group dinner for any of the families who want to participate.
They have laundry facilities and provide them with clean bedding when they arrive. There is no real time limit as to how long they are there. All of the families have case workers who are doing their best to help them get into low income housing. Some times this takes up to 3 years. It is hard believe families would have to live in those conditions for that long.
Upstairs they have housing for single men and women. These folks have a time limit. They can only have a bed for 90 days. When they arrive, the are given a bed number and a locker. The shelter provides clean bed linens that have been donated. This ranges from sheets and blankets to sleeping bags. There is a place for them to cook food, just like the families, but they don't have the storage for food like the families. They have the capacity to sleep 300 men and 75 women. It is just one big room filled with bunk beds. You don't get to chose top or bottom. You are just assigned. You can clean up in the bathrooms, but they don't have showers. There is a lounge for to watch movies or TV and computer lab to check on email or do homework. Lights go out at 10 and you have to be out of the building by 7:30 in the morning. The women can return at 4 and the men at 4:30.
The men and women don't share, they are on opposite sides of the building. If you come in as a husband and wife, you are not considered to be a family unless you have children. So you sleep and live on opposites of the facility while there. They do not let them mingle. After the 90 days, you can get put back on the waiting list to enter again. There is about a 14 day waiting period for singles and 6 weeks for families.
It was a real eye opener. I know I keep saying it, but I can't imagine. When we were done, I just had to sit back and count my blessings. I did not want to be at work any more. I wanted to be home with my family. I took AUTO for the last two hours of the day. There just wasn't enough for me to do at work.
Think about it. Try volunteering. Do everything in your power not to get there.
It felt good to know that I was helping out. I know that our family could have done more. We probably should have. I think I shared the moments when I was moved to clean out my closet. When we were done, they asked if we would like to take a tour of the facilities to see what they do there. We started out with the family area. Before we could even go in, they had to get on the intercom and let all the residents know that there was a tour going on.
There are currently 35 families staying in the facility. They get a dorm room to live it. There can only be one family per room, so if you have a family of 6 you all sleep in the same room. That is all you get. There is no TV, phone, or privacy in your room. There is a mini library down the hall that you can go to. However, every evening they have volunteers come in with activities, so it is not always quited. There is a lounge where you can watch one TV with the other 31 families in the facility, but you don't always get to watch what you want.
Dinner looked to be interesting as well. 4 families share one refrigerator. They have a lock on it and each family has a key. There are 8 stoves to cook one or ovens to cook in. You then get to take your food to the dining hall that consists of 12 or so metal picnic tables. They said that most of the families are there because they just can't make it any more. They have jobs and stuff like that, but if the rent goes up or some one gets sick, they don't have the types of jobs that will give them medical benefits. Most of the parents income is going to pay for medical expenses. The children are then left in the shelter while the are working. They have after school programs, but it does not look like much fun. They also have groups come in and share meals with the families. If they are running low on food, they can participate when a group comes in. This happens about twice a week. The is a group dinner for any of the families who want to participate.
They have laundry facilities and provide them with clean bedding when they arrive. There is no real time limit as to how long they are there. All of the families have case workers who are doing their best to help them get into low income housing. Some times this takes up to 3 years. It is hard believe families would have to live in those conditions for that long.
Upstairs they have housing for single men and women. These folks have a time limit. They can only have a bed for 90 days. When they arrive, the are given a bed number and a locker. The shelter provides clean bed linens that have been donated. This ranges from sheets and blankets to sleeping bags. There is a place for them to cook food, just like the families, but they don't have the storage for food like the families. They have the capacity to sleep 300 men and 75 women. It is just one big room filled with bunk beds. You don't get to chose top or bottom. You are just assigned. You can clean up in the bathrooms, but they don't have showers. There is a lounge for to watch movies or TV and computer lab to check on email or do homework. Lights go out at 10 and you have to be out of the building by 7:30 in the morning. The women can return at 4 and the men at 4:30.
The men and women don't share, they are on opposite sides of the building. If you come in as a husband and wife, you are not considered to be a family unless you have children. So you sleep and live on opposites of the facility while there. They do not let them mingle. After the 90 days, you can get put back on the waiting list to enter again. There is about a 14 day waiting period for singles and 6 weeks for families.
It was a real eye opener. I know I keep saying it, but I can't imagine. When we were done, I just had to sit back and count my blessings. I did not want to be at work any more. I wanted to be home with my family. I took AUTO for the last two hours of the day. There just wasn't enough for me to do at work.
Think about it. Try volunteering. Do everything in your power not to get there.
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