BELLOWS FALLS — For the second straight year, men, women and children who have no place else to go on cold nights in winter will have at least a floor to sleep on and warm shelter overnight in Bellows Falls.
The village's overnight shelter will open on Nov. 15, if all goes according to plan, according to Louise Luring of Our Place Drop-In Center and who also serves on the shelter steering committee.
Alpha G Corporation is renting space for the overnight shelter beneath the Athens Pizza on Rockingham Street, accessible through a door in the back southwest corner of the building, down a flight of stairs into the large, well lit basement.
At an open house on Oct. 7 to answer the community's questions, Luring introduced the steering committee, then pointed out sign-up sheets where volunteers could sign up for help with overnight staffing, meals, shelter clean-up and maintenance, and fundraising for the shelter. Many of the attendees were there to do just that.
Past volunteers gave an overview of their experiences last year, what to expect in terms of volume, the kind of people who used the facility, and what hours seemed to work best for coverage. One of the biggest gaps of concern were the days and hours that the Our Place Drop-In center is not open, time that could be crucial to survival for some.
“We're aware of these issues and are trying to address them,” said Susan Ternes of Parks Place, who is also on the shelter steering committee.
“We are staffed by volunteers and it behooves us not to burn them out or make their lives difficult,” she said, referring to the 7 a.m. shelter closing that put people back on the street before alternative warm space is available.
“The police station lobby isn't as bad as you'd think,” she said. “It's clean. There's a bathroom, chairs, a table if there isn't any other place to go.”
But the steering committee is trying to close those gaps. Most of the volunteers at the shelter have jobs, families or animals they need to get to. Even 7 a.m. is too late for some people to go home, shower and change and get to work.
“We're aware and we're working on that,” Ternes iterated. “We know it's a concern.”
Following a comment by a woman who found herself homeless in Washington state “quite a few years ago” saying she was interviewed and given goals to achieve to get back on her feet that helped her, SEVCA's Pat Burke said, “Thanks for bringing that up, because I am aware that this is an area we need to work on.”
Susan Howes, also of SEVCA, noted that in her experience, setting up appointments for people with different agencies was not necessarily appropriate for shelter users.
“The reality is that most people who would use the overnight shelter may not be ready for that kind of help,” she said.
The shelter is not handicapped accessible either, but Luring pointed out that at least the shelter is available to the rest of the people who might need it, saying that eventually, they hope to get to the point where anyone can get to shelter.
It was notable that at least one volunteer that The Commons spoke with had been homeless themselves at one point.
Larry Barrows is going to volunteer in some capacity; he is not sure what yet. He was homeless for six months, now works part-time and has a place to live.
“I think it's a good idea,” he said, speaking of the overnight shelter. Of his volunteering, “It's a way to help.”
Richie Senerchia, owner of Athens Pizza and agent for the group Alpha G who owns the building where the shelter is to be housed said, “We have to help each other.”
Senerchia said that he has been in business in Bellows Falls for 31 years, and loves the community. He noted that every year, he donates and helps youth sports teams, community action groups, and now feels it's the right thing to rent space for the overnight shelter.
“It's a good idea,” he said. “This is who we are – we do stuff for our community.”