 Kelly Castleberry, Adrian City Commissioner and new Director of Share the Warmth since this past April, spoke to our club today about her new role and all that the organization continues to do since the passing of Helen Hendricks. The organization, she said, will be looking at how the organization can move forward. A case management program has been developed to help begin the process while consulting HUD, MISDA, Salvation Army, the State of Michigan, etc. They are applying for an Emergency Program Grant. Their work with HUD allows them to tackle housing first, Kelly said. Therefore, anyone coming to their facility is signed up so they can determine how they can be placed in permanent housing. Kelly knows that people need to have their basic needs met before they can be productive at doing other things. Once there they are fed and clothed and given basic hygiene items. People arrive each afternoon at 5pm. They are allowed to do laundry there, take showers, etc. They are then free to play games and socialize. Kelly encourages volunteers to hang out with them if they'd like. Staff work with all residents on long range plans and assisting them with finding employment with the help of Michigan Works, qualifying for Social Security, medical and mental health care with the help of Lenawee County Mental Health. They are constantly placing people with outside resources to take care of their needs and break down the barriers that may have caused them to lose shelter in the first place, she said. The shelter, Kelly said, started approximately 18 years ago in some of the local Catholic churches to take care of people mainly during the cold months. It then moved to the Salvation Army facility. Residents were also housed at Bohn Pool. Following a successful fundraiser, the organization bought the former Moose Lodge in 2018 where it is today. Kelly said that the organization has benefitted from using many volunteers in the past. Top floor is their dormitory space while the bottom floor is their kitchen and dining facility. All of this, she said, has been due to volunteers and not staff. COVID did impact volunteers help in 2020. They are in great need of them now more than ever, she said because a number of those who did help did not return. The new grant, if approved, will allow them to bring in more paid staff and case managers. |
