Warm Shelter Readied for Dec. 1 Reopening

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Category: News

Created on Friday, 22 November 2024 15:27

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By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The Sitka Homeless Coalition is preparing to reopen its warming shelter again starting December 1, after proving the need for the facility last year.
    “We’re finalizing scheduling for monitoring the space,” Denise Shaffer, the coalition’s programs director, said in an update to the Sentinel. “We have a great group of volunteers staffing it, but we are still looking for ‘overnight shelter monitors.’”
    Shaffer wanted to get the word out about the coalition’s plans to have it open Dec. 1- April 1, again at the United Methodist Church, 303 Kimsham Street.
    Last year, the stipulation for opening the wintertime emergency shelter for men and women ages 18 and up was when the temperature was forecast to dip below “feels like 28 degrees,” or there was a predicted precipitation (rain or snow) of 1 inch or more.
    That baseline resulted in the shelter’s being open last winter for 78 nights, starting in January. The shelter had an average of seven people a night, 19 unique individuals, and a total of 550 bed nights. The Homeless Coalition in February – given the weather and scheduling difficulties – decided to keep the shelter open continuously.
    “It created a lot more consistency for our staff and our clients, and we saw utilization of the shelter become more consistent in February and March and the weather got a lot colder in those months,” Shaffer said.
    So this season, the plan calls for opening on Dec. 1, and keeping it open every night all winter long, which will provide more predictability for staff, volunteers and un-housed residents, which Shaffer referred to as “neighbors in need.”
    A current need for the organization are paid “overnight shelter monitors,” a job that pays a $225 stipend per night. The hours are 8:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., and Shaffer is looking for people who can commit to three or four nights a week.
    Personality attributes that the nonprofit is looking for in monitors include “competent, compassionate, good communicators, and advocates.” Those interested in the position, or who want to volunteer in any capacity, can email shafferdshc@gmail.com
    The shelter is one of the projects of the Sitka Homeless Coalition, a nonprofit organization founded in 2017 with a mission “to promote safe, secure housing for all, and to strengthen support services in collaboration with a strong network of partners to build an overall culture of care, health, dignity, and belonging in our community.”
    Its main project is a new neighborhood for people experiencing chronic homelessness. The construction completion date is September 2025 for the 12 single-room efficiency units, and one caretaker unit. The Sentinel will have a followup on the Hitx’i Saani Project, now under construction, in a later edition.