Homeless Shelter To Open In Warsaw
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The homeless shelter will be open for three months from Monday to Feb. 28 and provide dinner, breakfast, sleeping quarters and showers to those who cannot provide them for themselves.[[In-content Ad]]The shelter will be called Project Refuge Homeless Shelter and will be housed in the gymnasium of New Life Christian Church, 744 S. CR 325 E., Warsaw, off of U.S. 30.
Transportation will be provided for people who need to stay at the homeless shelter. People will be picked up at Warsaw Police Department at 7 p.m. or at` Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department at 7:15 p.m. seven days a week and be transported to the shelter.
Transportation for those who stay at the shelter will be provided back to WPD or KCSD at 7 a.m. seven days a week.
Check-in will be at 7 p.m. seven days a week at the church and will end at 10 p.m. each night. Those who stay overnight at the shelter will be required to leave at 7 a.m. each morning, but will be allowed to return at 7 p.m. each night.
Ken Locke, Salvation Army community ministries director, and New Life Christian Church Pastor John B. Lowe II came up with the idea for the temporary homeless shelter.
"We've seen the number of homeless people in the county increase in Kosciusko County within the last six months and that is what has pushed the shelter forward," Locke said.
The shelter will house anyone who is homeless, including men, women and children.
"What we're trying to do is provide a place at night where those who are homeless can get out of the cold," Locke said.
He said many of the homeless people in the county are currently living out of their vehicles or in abandoned buildings or abandoned houses.
"There were four people I talked to this morning, two were living in abandoned vehicles and two were living in abandoned houses," Locke said.
He said it is harder to see homelessness in Kosciusko County compared to larger cities.
"This isn't like Chicago or New York. Those who are homeless are not as visible here, but we have seen them live in a car and move from parking lot to parking lot," he said.
Locke said the Salvation Army has seen people who have never been homeless before lose their jobs and are now homeless.
This isn't the first time New Life Christian Church has had a homeless shelter. The church ran a homeless shelter five years ago for two months and housed about five people a night, according to Lowe.
"There were some nights no one showed up and then others when 15 people showed up," Lowe said.
Locke said he expects there will be an even greater need for shelter services as they have seen an increase in people coming into the Salvation Army this year with the troubled economy with job losses and lack of job availability.
Lowe said he encourages other churches and hotels to refer those who need a place to stay to the homeless shelter.
"If you're not homeless you don't realize what it's like to be able to take a shower, the normal things we take for granted," Lowe said.
Lowe said there will be basic rules those who stay at the shelter will have to follow, and if they do not follow the rules they will not be allowed back in.
The rules will be to act decently, take a shower, treat everyone with respect, and not damage church property.
The people will stay in the church's gymnasium where a dining area and separate locker rooms with showers and restrooms for men and women will be available. Laundry facilities also will be available.
"We put mattresses on the gym floor and give them blankets with sleeping bags," Lowe said.
The church and Salvation Army already have started collecting food and blankets. The church already has mattresses that were used at the former shelter that will be used.
Staffing will include one husband and wife team. There are seven security cameras in the full-size gym where the shelter will be housed.
Although Lowe said the community needs a full-time shelter, there are not plans at this point to start one.
"This community needs a full-time shelter, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it," Lowe said.
The Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary and New Life Christian Church are providing funds for the shelter. Financial donations also will be accepted by the Greater Warsaw Ministerial Association, P.O. Box 1797, Warsaw IN 46581.
For more information about the shelter, call Lowe at 574-269-5851 or Locke at 574-267-5361.
The homeless shelter will be open for three months from Monday to Feb. 28 and provide dinner, breakfast, sleeping quarters and showers to those who cannot provide them for themselves.[[In-content Ad]]The shelter will be called Project Refuge Homeless Shelter and will be housed in the gymnasium of New Life Christian Church, 744 S. CR 325 E., Warsaw, off of U.S. 30.
Transportation will be provided for people who need to stay at the homeless shelter. People will be picked up at Warsaw Police Department at 7 p.m. or at` Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department at 7:15 p.m. seven days a week and be transported to the shelter.
Transportation for those who stay at the shelter will be provided back to WPD or KCSD at 7 a.m. seven days a week.
Check-in will be at 7 p.m. seven days a week at the church and will end at 10 p.m. each night. Those who stay overnight at the shelter will be required to leave at 7 a.m. each morning, but will be allowed to return at 7 p.m. each night.
Ken Locke, Salvation Army community ministries director, and New Life Christian Church Pastor John B. Lowe II came up with the idea for the temporary homeless shelter.
"We've seen the number of homeless people in the county increase in Kosciusko County within the last six months and that is what has pushed the shelter forward," Locke said.
The shelter will house anyone who is homeless, including men, women and children.
"What we're trying to do is provide a place at night where those who are homeless can get out of the cold," Locke said.
He said many of the homeless people in the county are currently living out of their vehicles or in abandoned buildings or abandoned houses.
"There were four people I talked to this morning, two were living in abandoned vehicles and two were living in abandoned houses," Locke said.
He said it is harder to see homelessness in Kosciusko County compared to larger cities.
"This isn't like Chicago or New York. Those who are homeless are not as visible here, but we have seen them live in a car and move from parking lot to parking lot," he said.
Locke said the Salvation Army has seen people who have never been homeless before lose their jobs and are now homeless.
This isn't the first time New Life Christian Church has had a homeless shelter. The church ran a homeless shelter five years ago for two months and housed about five people a night, according to Lowe.
"There were some nights no one showed up and then others when 15 people showed up," Lowe said.
Locke said he expects there will be an even greater need for shelter services as they have seen an increase in people coming into the Salvation Army this year with the troubled economy with job losses and lack of job availability.
Lowe said he encourages other churches and hotels to refer those who need a place to stay to the homeless shelter.
"If you're not homeless you don't realize what it's like to be able to take a shower, the normal things we take for granted," Lowe said.
Lowe said there will be basic rules those who stay at the shelter will have to follow, and if they do not follow the rules they will not be allowed back in.
The rules will be to act decently, take a shower, treat everyone with respect, and not damage church property.
The people will stay in the church's gymnasium where a dining area and separate locker rooms with showers and restrooms for men and women will be available. Laundry facilities also will be available.
"We put mattresses on the gym floor and give them blankets with sleeping bags," Lowe said.
The church and Salvation Army already have started collecting food and blankets. The church already has mattresses that were used at the former shelter that will be used.
Staffing will include one husband and wife team. There are seven security cameras in the full-size gym where the shelter will be housed.
Although Lowe said the community needs a full-time shelter, there are not plans at this point to start one.
"This community needs a full-time shelter, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it," Lowe said.
The Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary and New Life Christian Church are providing funds for the shelter. Financial donations also will be accepted by the Greater Warsaw Ministerial Association, P.O. Box 1797, Warsaw IN 46581.
For more information about the shelter, call Lowe at 574-269-5851 or Locke at 574-267-5361.
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