By Varun Goyal, staff correspondent
Boston’s Old South Church has opened two of its rooms to accommodate homeless families and individuals during the day as part of a program led by the organization Boston Warm. These rooms are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, keeping their beneficiaries off the streets during the winter months.
“We had the church generously donate some of their space in order to hold the center,” Coordinator of Boston Urban Outreach of the City Mission Society Dylan Hillerbrand said.
Boston Warm is a coalition of religious leaders that tends to the immediate needs and necessities of people through advocacy and political action. It was created in light of the closure of the Long Island Bridge that left hundreds of people without shelter. The island previously provided shelter for some 700 homeless people every night.
The day program began on Monday, Jan. 19.
“[People started] lining up on the first day it opened,” Boston Warm day center floor manager Rebecca Bowler said.
With no day shelters around, the organization wanted to show the City of Boston that possibility. According to Bowler, Boston Warm believes in quick resolutions for long-term problemss.
The Old South Church center will remain open until April. There are two professionals there each day attending to the guests’ needs and providing leadership.
The guests are not required to sign in, unlike at many area shelters, and can come and go as they please. Activities including games, crafts and books are available to pass the time. There are also snacks and day beds, as well as locked bins for the guests to store their belongings. The day care center is creating a growing library as well.
One of the guests, who wished to remain anonymous, was delighted about the service that was being provided.
“[The day beds] are ideal,” he said. “It’s just great to have somewhere to lay during the day.”
He also said that this is one of the few shelters that allow the guests to store their belongings with such ease.
“I believe what they’re doing here is a great service,” he said.
Over $35,000 has been provided to Boston Warm through churches and individual donations. However, resources are starting to become more and more scarce, according to Bowler.
“From non-perishable foods to hygiene packs, anything can help,” she said.
Several other day shelters are beginning to open up as well. The Emmanuel Church located on Newbury Street started participating in this program on Monday, Jan. 26.
Reverend Pamela L. Werntz of Emmanuel Church expressed concern that the Old South Church could only accommodate 35 guests at a time. It was necessary, she said, to have more space.
“Emmanuel Church is honored to extend hospitality to people in need of relief from the cold in the form of an emergency relief day center on Mondays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m,” Werntz said in an email to The News.
The Emmanuel Church offers opportunities to showcase the talents of its guests. For example, every Wednesday, the church hosts the ecclesia ministries’ common art program from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., where guests can exhibit their artistic abilities.
“The Rev. Christen Mills and Mr. Raymond Hamilton will serve as paid staff, assisted by trained volunteers,” Werntz said. “City Mission Society is steering fundraising to support the day centers at Emmanuel and Old South Church, and a third warming center possibility. ”
The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is also creating a new nighttime shelter on Southampton Street to house most of the individuals who were displaced due to the closure of the Long Island Bridge. The Southampton Street shelter currently houses 100 men and expects to house up to 500 in the spring.
The new shelter is across the street from Boston Fire Department headquarters in the Newmarket area. The shelter is expected to be able to house all of the displaced homeless by April.
BPHC Public Information Officer for Mckenzie Ridings said in an email to The News that the commission has “been working diligently to establish a long term solution that will provide stability to those who have been destabilized by the Long Island Bridge closure.”
In addition to the Southampton Street building, other temporary shelters remain in effect to house those experiencing homelessness.
“The South End Fitness Center will stay open and our partners at St. Francis House, Health Care for the Homeless, Pine Street Inn, New England Center for Homeless Veterans, Boston Rescue Mission, Valentine Street Housing Program and Pilgrim Shelter will continue to take overflow guests on a nightly basis,” Ridings said.
Accommodations are especially important in the aftermath of Winter Storm Juno and with other potentially forecasted storms on the horizon for Friday, Jan. 30 and Monday, Feb. 2.
“We are concerned [about] the immediate needs of those living on the streets during this cold and inclement weather,” Dillerbrand said. “The Boston Warm center has seen need for secure storage and a stable and dignified place to spend the day.
Photo by Varun Goyal.
