The month of December is a time to give and receive. Children are making their Christmas wish list that may include the new Xbox Kinect or the next hot item off the market. Shoppers are making their lists, checking it twice, and ensuring they covered every single family member to have a gift under the tree. While the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is now in full swing, some folks are not worrying about having to get so much done in so little time. These folks are not planning to attend lavish company parties or enjoy the luxury of gift-giving. They are not wasting time trying to stuff stockings or even put up a Christmas tree. These folks are trying to figure out where they will be sleeping tonight.
A record number of people will be sleeping at Brother Francis Shelter and Bean’s Café for the next coming weeks. The Anchorage Daily News reported that a total of 355 people, which is about twice the normal this time of year, will occupy both of these homeless shelters.
Bean’s Café has a capacity of sleeping 124 people. Brother Francis, the city’s largest emergency homeless shelter, can sleep about 150 people. These record numbers of homeless individuals seeking emergency shelter services can possibly be a continuing trend.
Susan Bomalaski, executive director of Catholic Social Services which oversees these shelters, told the Anchorage Daily News about the economy playing the major factor of why the number of homeless people is increasing in the community.
“The cost of housing is just not affordable for everyone,” Bomalaski said. “This is not just in Alaska but the lower 48 as well.”
Homeless shelters are not only seeking monetary donations, but also basic household items that will help sustain the new reoccurring visitors. With below freezing temperatures this time of the year, there is a dire need for blankets, sheets, towels, clothes, and especially cold-weather gear and boots.
“The correlation of cold weather and the holiday season makes the people’s response rate go up when it comes to helping out. People tend to be more generous,” Bomalaski said.
Agencies are working closely with homeless shelters to donate food, clothing, basic necessities, and even furniture to these facilities. Each person, family, and overall shelter have their own wish lists they are asking from the Anchorage community.
Catholic Social Services has a basic wish list published on their web site that can go towards any of their several housing facilities. Monetary donations received will fund towards the bare necessities.
Bean’s Café will be distributing their “Beanie Boxes” which ask for particular men’s and women’s hygienic products.
The Covenant House has published their wish list which is asking for many of the same items as other social services. They provide a transitional homeless shelter for youth ages 17 to 20.
The Safe Harbor Inn, Alaska’s only non-profit motels, allows for community members to fill up Christmas boxes for families referred staying here that will be given to them on Christmas day. There are two locations in Anchorage, one on Muldoon and one on Merrill Field, which have a total of 105 rooms occupied by families with children.
All of these emergency shelters have one major goal: to help get these individuals back on their feet. They want to be able to help these people move into permanent housing and independence. Services are provided to help them successfully transition to a self-sufficient lifestyle through gaining reliable employment.
Deborah Pope, a staff member from Safe Harbor Inn Muldoon says they constantly have an overwhelming list of referrals.
“Once we have an empty space, we will fill the spot ASAP,” said Pope. “We have a large waiting list but are working with a lot of agencies, especially Alaska Housing to help these families move on for themselves quickly.”
However, this ideal plan is not a rapid success. People who follow these plans don’t always get out of the shelter. People who work full-time are only being paid at minimum-wage and is still not enough to uphold self-sufficiency.
Pope says, “Most people don’t end up coming back here, but it’s possible. Our case workers work closely on a one-to-one basis with these families to make sure they are fully back on their feet and will be for the long run.”
Many people caught in a budget can still find numerous ways to help out the community. Giving towards homeless needs does not always require the use of funds, but giving the gift of time toward these individuals can make all the difference as well.
Kyla Brown, a mother of three sons is one of the participants in the Safe Harbor Christmas boxes this year. She says, “I’ve been making calls to different homeless shelters to see how my boys and I can volunteer and help out. I raise them to be kind and generous to others.”
Michael Scott from First National Bank of Alaska is giving his two cents by filling backpacks of gifts and necessities for children staying at these homeless shelters. This is part of the Lunchbox Program from Bean’s Café and the Anchorage Homebuilder’s Association.
Scott says, “It’s nice to contribute and make a child’s Christmas a bit more special, especially for those that cannot afford these basic things.”
The homeless trend is something that has been talked about in the Anchorage community for quite some time. Although there may not be a quick cure to reduce the number of homeless occupancy, there are several things community members can do to continue to help.
“Education is important,” Bomalaski says. “People need to be educated and understand exactly why these people are homeless and how it happens. There is a lot of publicity about it, but people need to realize how the homeless are trying to recover. This is what I feel will help alleviate the rate of homeless people over the year, and not just during this time.”
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