Severe Weather Shelter Network is always considering storage. Storage of our shelter supplies. Storage of supplies for events. Storage of daily office supplies. It seems there is never really enough storage space for those things that seem really important.
I know my family deals with the same thing. We regularly purge items from our storage areas, but I am fairly certain that in the overnight hours, when nobody is looking, it self propagates. Am I right?
If this is true for us and for our families, why would it be any different for people experiencing homelessness?
Safe storage for personal belongings is next to non-existent. There are a few of our guests that work to pay for a storage unit for their belongings. They are few and far between. Folks with storage units are usually temporarily homeless and are hanging on to items they will need when they are able to get off the streets.
When homelessness begins to last longer than a person thought it might they begin to divest themselves of what they don’t really need. Often all that is left is their backpack, a bedroll of some kind and perhaps another bag with other items they don’t want to carry everywhere. In the suburban corridor this means finding a place to hide those items. A place they hope will be safe until they can come back to collect their possessions.
Over the last few years Severe Weather Shelter Network has become very aware of how hard it is for people to leave their personal items in a hopefully safe place. Theft in the homeless community is a big problem. Stashed items found by someone else are taken and incorporated. Personal ID, birth certificates, social security cards…all stolen making it impossible to get a job. Many of our guests have replaced their identification so many times they eventually give up hope and stop trying.
This impacts shelter nights in a number of ways.
- People will bring all of their personal possessions with them, making storage a big concern in our Host Sites.
- Transportation to the Host Site takes longer because personal items are taking up seats on the van.
- Guests become disgruntled when others demand to bring along the extra bag.
Severe Weather Shelter Network has been thinking about how we might address this concern. We are putting together a plan that will allow folks to have access to locked overnight storage at our Warming Sites. We are in the early stages of processing this idea, but we are hopeful we can work with our partners to come up with a good solution.
You have an opportunity be part of helping us develop this plan. Your donation right now allows us to continue thinking through and developing shelter night programming that brings a sense of safety, a sense of community and the ability to take a look forward to next steps that lead to a life of sustainability and self-sufficiency.
The season is almost upon us! I look forward to welcoming you again this year. If you have never served with us before...click this link to fill out the initial volunteer application.
If you have served with us before…click this link to fill the form that will update your information.
In both cases we will be in touch to get you connected in the way that best uses your gifts and your time.
See you all soon!
Lynn Ann Huizingh
Executive Director