The temporary homeless shelter at Genesis Church will remain open for at least the next 10 to 14 days, Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition Director Susan Garton told The Dispatch on Friday.
The shelter has seen between seven and 11 guests most nights since it first opened Jan. 8 at 1820 23rd St. N. Garton said five or six of those are “frequent flyers” who come every night for dinner, to wash up and either stay overnight or leave after a nap. Others will trickle in, sometimes as late as 11 p.m., and leave the next morning.
“Then we never see them again,” Garton said.
The Emergency Hope Crisis Response Network – a partnership of the homeless coalition, United Way of the Golden Triangle Region, Lowndes County Emergency Management and Columbus’ police and community outreach departments – organized the shelter effort in light of frigid overnight temperatures that make it dangerous for people to sleep in the elements or without reliable heat. It opens each day at 3 p.m. and allows shelterers to stay until 8 a.m. the next day, though they can stay longer if temperatures remain below 32 degrees.
Overnight lows are expected to stay in the teens and 20s next week, with the Monday through Wednesday forecast as the coldest nights.
Garton said manpower and material continue to be the greatest challenges for running the shelter.
Volunteers tend to be more plentiful through the weekends, she said, but shifts between Monday and Friday are harder to fill, particularly the overnight shifts.
“Sometimes women will agree to do it, then they tell their husbands that they’re doing it, and their husbands won’t let them. Then they’ll cancel on us,” Garton said. “… We’re having to recycle the exact same volunteers, and I’d like to be able to give them a break.”
The shelter is running short on basic supplies, as well, from cleaning supplies, plates, bowls, cups, utensils and napkins, trash bags and various food items – ranging from Pop Tarts, cereal bars and fruit to bread, Hot Pockets, Vienna sausages and cases of bottled water.
“It’s all basic stuff you can get at Dollar General,” Garton said.
United Way has so far raised almost $1,200 toward the effort, Executive Director Renee Sanders said Friday. The city has agreed to match up to $2,000 in private donations to the shelter.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 48 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
