| Tempe Churches Offer Shelter to the Homeless |
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Tempe churches offer shelter to homeless by William Hermann - Dec. 18, 2008 06:47 AM The Arizona Republic As winter storms drench the Valley, Tempe churches reach out to the homeless and bid them come in from the rain and cold, take a hot shower, have a hot meal, and sleep under a roof and out of the elements. Tempe has no homeless shelter, but under the leadership of First United Methodist Church Pastor David Summers and the Tempe Community Action Agency, 22 churches have joined together in the Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program: I-HELP. "We are working with the TCAA and the city on helping the homeless, and Tempe has come from dragging its feet and closing its eyes to leading the way and providing frontline help to the homeless and people on the edge of homelessness," Summers said. "The city has put up money for programs, increased its funding, and works with us on our efforts." Tempe outreach workers on a daily basis approach chronically homeless people and help them find assistance, but because the city has no shelter, an estimated 500 homeless people wander from city parks to neighborhoods to freeway underpasses, sweltering in the summer and shivering in the winter. Greg Thompson, 49, makes his home at a picnic bench in a ramada at Escalante Park. He says he suffers from bi-polar disorder, "and it has been a while-a long time-since I've had any medication. "I've heard of the help at the Methodist church and that's good and I'm even a Methodist but I don't know, I guess I should do something and maybe I will . . . it's cold out here," Thompson said. "I do need something; I know that." It is to help people like Thompson that Tempe's churches and the TCAA now provide food, shelter and shower facilities. Summers said that five nights a week an I-HELP van transports 25-35 homeless people from the pickup point at the Salvation Army building at 40 E. University Drive to a host site, which rotates between different Tempe faith communities. These communities offer overnight shelter as well as dinner and breakfast. In the morning, the I-HELP van provides transportation back to the pickup point. But more is being done for Tempe's homeless. Summers said First United Methodist got a $70,000 Nina Mason Pulliam Trust grant to help support its work with the homeless, and the church hired veteran social worker Kim VanNimwegen to coordinate programs. "The needs of the homeless are obvious but not always easy to provide," VanNimwegen said. "There are often mental health issues, illness, HIV, drug and alcohol dependency . . . and no place to live. "We are here to advocate for broken, struggling human beings who need help and more than anything, need a place to live." VanNimwegen is coordinating efforts for the homeless that go considerably beyond the nightly shelter program. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at First Methodist, homeless people can get a meal and counseling services. And in an effort to provide services that will get a homeless person off the streets for good, four times a year First Methodist brings together more than 30 "service providers" to the homeless. The counselors offer Veterans Administration benefits advice, healthcare examinations, housing and food stamp advice and job counseling. Also, shower facilities are available and volunteer stylists cut hair. "Last time we did the Project Homeless Connect program, more than 140 homeless people came and found answers to almost any question they could have," Summers said. "It's one of those great ideas that really works." Summers said that despite efforts to help Tempe's homeless, "the numbers still remain daunting." He said the recent turndown in the economy and the inclement weather haven't helped a bit. As people lose jobs and as the weather has become colder, on Sunday night we see more and more people and recently we've had to turn some away," Summers said. "It breaks our heart to do that, but we have only so much room. "Tempe churches are doing a lot, but this program is eminently reproducible and others could do it too."
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| Last Updated on Monday, 31 August 2009 10:05 |