The local homeless shelter, operated by Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, is asking area residents for help with current critical needs

  • By Jennifer Kneuss
  • July 10, 2011
  • 473
The local homeless shelter, operated by Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, is asking area residents for help with current critical needs
The local homeless shelter, operated by Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, is asking area residents for help with current critical needs
                        
Summary: The local homeless shelter, operated by Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, is in dire need of food and supplies, and you can help. It may be summertime, complete with the connotation of ‘taking it easy’ for a few months, but there is no break from homelessness, hunger, and joblessness for those who tirelessly work at the Friends of the Homeless Shelter in Tuscarawas County. “Our capacity is 35, and we are full. We are busy, and have a waiting list. There is always someone on it. There is quite a need right now,” said Deb Handrich, caseworker at the shelter. “We have three families right now; a family of four with one on the way, a family of five, and a family of two, for a total of seven children, including the unborn baby.” “We have a lot of people with mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, and the programs that are out there are not working for them. There are jobs available, but a lot of the times the problem is that the income is not enough to sustain themselves and their family without outside help. Many want to work, and over half of our residents are currently working or seeking better employment. They are using GED programs, vocational school training at Buckeye Career Center, and a few are doing online college classes, trying to make a better life for themselves. They are looking for better income and better opportunities,” continued the caseworker. “A lot of people think of homeless people as being ‘hoboes’. It is not like that at all. These are amazing, wonderful people who, even though they are at a low point in their lives, they are still working to help people who they think are worse off than themselves. They are volunteering at the food pantry; they do things around the shelter. There are several people who found out that an elderly lady was having trouble with clogged gutters and other things around her property, and they went out to volunteer who help her.” Recent cuts in federal and state spending are having an impact on the plight of the homeless. “It’s hard to gauge how much the government cuts are starting to affect people. We are starting to hit walls when we want to help people here. Metro housing funding is already full for the year. There is a lot of underfunding in the housing area, with big waiting lists. People can’t afford rent, utilities, and all that goes with it,” noted Handrich. Currently, the homeless shelter has a serious shortage of some very critical needs. “We need so many things, particularly cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, and also lots and lots of diapers,” commented Dave Marsh, one of three house managers. “However, we do not need any clothing.” The shelter uses other local clothing closets to help their residents obtain those items. “We desperately need many food items, particularly protein sources, like beef, chicken, and the like, and we also need dry cereals,” said Calvin White, who counsels at the shelter. “We have freezers that need filled.” According to staff members, at six o’clock every night, anyone who is hungry in the county can come and eat. Local group’s donations make that possible. At lunch, clients work collaboratively to prepare meals and cleanup, and a volunteer dietician comes in frequently to assist with meal planning using available resources. Deacon Mel Anderson, also a house manager, commented on the generosity of the Tuscarawas County community. “We are blessed to have a community that is so giving, and willing to step up and help the less fortunate,” said Anderson. “We need their help now.” “Anyone who wants to donate can call us at the shelter at 330-602-6100, and leave a message for Phyllis Boice,” said Handrich, “Or they can drop things off at the back door at 211 East High Avenue, by using the first alley off of Second Street.” Current critical needs for the Homeless Shelter include: Meat and other protein sources, breakfast cereals, shaving supplies for men and women, feminine hygiene items, baby diapers in all sizes, baby wipes, soaps, shampoos, deodorants, dishwashing liquid, toilet tissue, Kleenex, paper towels, bathroom and kitchen cleaners, disinfectants, large storage tubs with lids


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