Staying warm for a night

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Created on Friday, 02 October 2015 17:21

Written by Kaitlyn Manktelow

LYNDON - While the temperatures may be dropping, the number of homeless people in the area without shelter is increasing.

 This is why many churches are banding together to help those without a shelter to keep them warm especially once winter comes around.

Churches such as the First Congregational church of Lyndon and The First Congregational Church of East Burke have joined together to help put a stop to homelessness as part of the Lyndon Area Ecumenical Council which is composed of local community churches.

These churches have come together with the intention of raising money to put the homeless in a warm bed for at least one night. The money raised allows them to stay at either the Lynburke Motel or the Colannade Inn both in Lyndonville for a night when the weather gets to be too cold. The council has emergency funds but only have enough money to let those in need only stay one night at the hotels, which is something they are hoping to change with their fundraising efforts.

Alan Rankin who has been homeless for years, knows the struggles of being without a shelter especially in such a cold climate. Despite his living conditions, Rankin is still appreciative towards those trying to help.

“A lot of people in Lyndonville have been very very nice, very generous.. I was homeless in Boston for four and a half years before I moved to Vermont, and there is quite a bit of difference.”

Frank Rothe who is in charge of the soup kitchen, The Mustard Seed located in St. Johnsbury has seen and interacted with many former and current homeless members of the community. Rothe praises the churches and the volunteers efforts claiming that everyone should have something to fall back on.

"Many people live paycheck to paycheck and are not insulated from this if they lose their job or suffer some other life altering crisis. A safety net is something that every community should be prepared to try to provide."

Felicia Friend, the manager of the Lynburke Motel says that she whole heartedly supports this effort to help those without shelter.

"We love to be able to help the homeless however we can. We try to work with churches and the Vermont Department for children and families as much as we can to keep people off the street."

Ellen Wilder one of the volunteers raising the money chooses to help out since she she knows the struggles of being homeless.

"I have been homeless before and when I was given the opportunity to do something, to help the homeless people at the present time. I jumped at the opportunity."

Rothe reminds that not every homeless person is the same case. They all have different reasons for being homeless and different struggles which may lead to some needing more help than others.

"There are many obstacles, not the least of which is financial. For many it is a matter of mental health which is accompanied by behavioral problems and the inability to force those people to make good decisions. For many others the problem is drug addiction, until the addiction is addressed nothing you do improves their lives."

According to a survey done by Vermont's coalition to end homelessness, on the night of January 28th, 2014; 1,556 people in Vermont were determined to be homeless and without shelter. The survey also points out that this is over a nine percent increase from 2013 in overall homelessness. 77 of those homeless in 2014 were from right here Caledonia County, which is what prompts many of the volunteers to join in the efforts of the Lyndonville and East Burke Congregational Churches.

"Oh, it's terrible, because the cold that we have in winters and to see them lay out with blankets is just terrible." Says another volunteer Mary Rexford.

When asked about the amount of homeless people Rothe sees while working at the Mustard seed; he says it's difficult to put an exact number of those homeless in the community.

"The numbers of homeless seems to change with the seasons. When it gets cold many leave the area to go where there is a shelter or warmer weather and many are couch surfing around the community with different friends. I've heard of some who have been homeless in the past that now have an apartment and they have an extra bed or mattress on the floor and they allow people to sleep there in shifts. When one person gets up someone else will come and go to bed when it is their turn."

The churches have done several fundraisers so far including selling raffle tickets, yard sales and a chicken barbeque in order to raise this money. The winners of the raffle which was held on the 29th of September will be given a two nights stay at the Burke hotel, several paintings and an inflatable two person kayak.

With the fundraising still underway, donations can be sent to Lyndon Area Ecumencial Council at P.O Box 193, Lyndonville, Vermont 05851.