Winter facilities needed to prevent hypothermia among the homeless
The approaching cold-weather season might be dismal and
unpleasant for a lot of us, but it’s life-threatening for the area’s growing
homeless population.
unpleasant for a lot of us, but it’s life-threatening for the area’s growing
homeless population.
During the winter, the Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter,
as part of the Fairfax County Hypothermia Prevention Program, works with a
network of religious facilities to provide the homeless with a warm place to
spend the night. The program runs from Dec. 1 through March 31.
as part of the Fairfax County Hypothermia Prevention Program, works with a
network of religious facilities to provide the homeless with a warm place to
spend the night. The program runs from Dec. 1 through March 31.
Last winter, the shelter provided emergency overnight accommodations
to about 450 homeless people at six churches and a mosque.
to about 450 homeless people at six churches and a mosque.
This year, two of those churches—Lincolnia United Methodist Church on Little River Turnpike and Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church on Lincolnia Road—won’t
be allowed to participate because of a “stricter reinterpretation of the fire
code that requires sprinklers in the room where people sleep,” said Beth Jones,
director of the Bailey’s shelter. As a result, Jones is scrambling to find alternative
locations, even if they’re much farther away.
be allowed to participate because of a “stricter reinterpretation of the fire
code that requires sprinklers in the room where people sleep,” said Beth Jones,
director of the Bailey’s shelter. As a result, Jones is scrambling to find alternative
locations, even if they’re much farther away.
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| The lounge in the Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter. |
Facilities still in the program include Annandale United Methodist Church, St. Albans Episcopal Church, and St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Annandale and the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center
in Seven Corners.
Under the hypothermia program, shelter workers try to find
as many homeless people as possible and bus them to participating facilities
overnight. The county provides sleeping bags and mats for them and buses them
back to the shelter the next morning for breakfast.
as many homeless people as possible and bus them to participating facilities
overnight. The county provides sleeping bags and mats for them and buses them
back to the shelter the next morning for breakfast.
The Bailey’s shelter, located on Moncure Avenue in Bailey’s
Crossroads, is operated for the county by Volunteers of America Chesapeake. It
has beds for 36 men and 14 women. Even with a few extra people sleeping on the
couches, the shelter is full every night, with people turned away.
Crossroads, is operated for the county by Volunteers of America Chesapeake. It
has beds for 36 men and 14 women. Even with a few extra people sleeping on the
couches, the shelter is full every night, with people turned away.
Only single adults age 18 and up are admitted. During the day, clients who spent the night are bused
to a program, like the Lamb Center in Fairfax, where they can get help
overcoming addiction and finding employment. “They should be out looking for
jobs,” said Jones. “The whole point is to get them back to a productive
life.”
to a program, like the Lamb Center in Fairfax, where they can get help
overcoming addiction and finding employment. “They should be out looking for
jobs,” said Jones. “The whole point is to get them back to a productive
life.”
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| The women’s dorm. |
Having the clients leave during the day allows the shelter
to serve more people. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, people who live in
cars or in tents in parks or vacant lots can come to the shelter for a hot
lunch, take a shower, and do their laundry. On Thursdays, First Christian Church in Falls Church opens its doors to the homeless for lunch and various
services. A women’s group meets on Saturdays, and there’s a Bible study group
on Sundays.
to serve more people. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, people who live in
cars or in tents in parks or vacant lots can come to the shelter for a hot
lunch, take a shower, and do their laundry. On Thursdays, First Christian Church in Falls Church opens its doors to the homeless for lunch and various
services. A women’s group meets on Saturdays, and there’s a Bible study group
on Sundays.
Most people are allowed to stay at the Bailey’s Shelter for
30 days—as long as they follow the rules: They have to obey the nightly curfew,
turn in their medicine, avoid drugs and alcohol, and refrain from fighting and
violence. In some cases, the shelter allows people to extend their stay if they
are making progress toward finding a job or if they get a job but haven’t gotten
their first paycheck yet.
30 days—as long as they follow the rules: They have to obey the nightly curfew,
turn in their medicine, avoid drugs and alcohol, and refrain from fighting and
violence. In some cases, the shelter allows people to extend their stay if they
are making progress toward finding a job or if they get a job but haven’t gotten
their first paycheck yet.
Many of the people who show up at the shelter are suffering
from mental illnesses and/or the effects of long-term drug or alcohol abuse, lack
job skills, and are estranged from their families. Lately there’s been an
increase in the elderly.
from mental illnesses and/or the effects of long-term drug or alcohol abuse, lack
job skills, and are estranged from their families. Lately there’s been an
increase in the elderly.
During my visit, there was a man in his late 70s, who had
arrived by taxi a couple of days before. He’d
been living at the Stratford Motor Lodge in Falls Church for eight months,
paying $80 a night, until “I was literally out of money,” he said.
arrived by taxi a couple of days before. He’d
been living at the Stratford Motor Lodge in Falls Church for eight months,
paying $80 a night, until “I was literally out of money,” he said.
At one time, he had a house in Burke, a job in marketing for
an oil company, a wife who had been a Miss Pennsylvania contestant, and
children he’s since lost track of. Before the motel, he’d been living in a
rented room in a house in Annandale. While he was in the hospital, being
treated for heart trouble and high blood pressure, his landlord sold the house
and “left me high and dry coming out of the hospital,” he recalled.
an oil company, a wife who had been a Miss Pennsylvania contestant, and
children he’s since lost track of. Before the motel, he’d been living in a
rented room in a house in Annandale. While he was in the hospital, being
treated for heart trouble and high blood pressure, his landlord sold the house
and “left me high and dry coming out of the hospital,” he recalled.
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| Portable tables fill the open area during meal times. |
With nowhere else to go, he took a cab to the Sleepy Hollow Manor Nursing Home in Annandale, where he stayed for four or five days. But with the costs
mounting—it’s $300 to $400 a day—he moved to the motel, which he found in the
yellow pages. His goal now is to find some sort of assisted living arrangement
if he can swing it with his Social Security benefits.
mounting—it’s $300 to $400 a day—he moved to the motel, which he found in the
yellow pages. His goal now is to find some sort of assisted living arrangement
if he can swing it with his Social Security benefits.
The staff at the Bailey’s shelter connects clients with
social services and tries to find housing for them—if possible, in subsidized housing programs, assisted living facilities,
group homes, or rented rooms, sometimes in more affordable locations. Apartments
are generally out of reach, as the average rent for a one-bedroom unit is $1,100
a month, and the people served at the shelter usually don’t have the skills to get more than a minimum wage job.
social services and tries to find housing for them—if possible, in subsidized housing programs, assisted living facilities,
group homes, or rented rooms, sometimes in more affordable locations. Apartments
are generally out of reach, as the average rent for a one-bedroom unit is $1,100
a month, and the people served at the shelter usually don’t have the skills to get more than a minimum wage job.
Fairfax County’s controversial proposal for residential studio units (RSUs) could be helpful in reducing homelessness, as long as these
units are near major transit lines, so people would have access to employment
and stores. Community organizations are mounting a major campaign to keep this
type of housing out of low-density, single-family neighborhoods. Those
locations wouldn’t be of much help anyway to people without cars or other resources.
units are near major transit lines, so people would have access to employment
and stores. Community organizations are mounting a major campaign to keep this
type of housing out of low-density, single-family neighborhoods. Those
locations wouldn’t be of much help anyway to people without cars or other resources.
For some people, “homelessness becomes normal. They are
surrounded by other homeless people and get to know all of the resources,”
Jones said. “After a while, people become so used to the homeless lifestyle,
they no longer challenge themselves to look for a way out.”
surrounded by other homeless people and get to know all of the resources,”
Jones said. “After a while, people become so used to the homeless lifestyle,
they no longer challenge themselves to look for a way out.”
There have been some success stories, though. In one example
cited by Jones, a woman who’s battled substance abuse for a long time seems to
be making good progress. The shelter staff found an apartment for her and they
are trying to reunite her with a daughter in North Carolina.
cited by Jones, a woman who’s battled substance abuse for a long time seems to
be making good progress. The shelter staff found an apartment for her and they
are trying to reunite her with a daughter in North Carolina.
In another case, a man who had been living in the woods for
a long time was placed in a farmhouse where he was supposed to help out the
elderly woman who lived there. That worked out well for a few a months, and
then it didn’t and he was homeless again and back at the shelter. “That might
not seem like a success story, but it shows him what he can do,” Jones said. “If
you can’t have some successes, there is nothing to look forward to.”
a long time was placed in a farmhouse where he was supposed to help out the
elderly woman who lived there. That worked out well for a few a months, and
then it didn’t and he was homeless again and back at the shelter. “That might
not seem like a success story, but it shows him what he can do,” Jones said. “If
you can’t have some successes, there is nothing to look forward to.”
Jones said people are much more willing
to help homeless children than single adults, as people
tend to blame adults for their plight.
to help homeless children than single adults, as people
tend to blame adults for their plight.
Her most critical need right now is to find additional
facilities willing to participate in the hypothermia program. She also needs donations
of food, toiletry items, cold medications, hats, coats, and gloves and volunteers
to help with job training, resume writing, and to spruce up the shelter to make
it more homey and less institutional.
facilities willing to participate in the hypothermia program. She also needs donations
of food, toiletry items, cold medications, hats, coats, and gloves and volunteers
to help with job training, resume writing, and to spruce up the shelter to make
it more homey and less institutional.
“No one should live on the streets. These people are
someone’s grandmother or brother or sister,” Jones said. “Everybody deserves
respect and empathy.”
someone’s grandmother or brother or sister,” Jones said. “Everybody deserves
respect and empathy.”
"Community organizations are mounting a major campaign to keep this type of housing out of low-density, single-family neighborhoods. Those locations wouldn’t be of much help to people without cars or other resources."
There are in fact single family home neighborhoods that are within walking distance of relatively frequent bus lines. Take a ride on the 401 bus to Tysons if you don't believe me. (I will take as given that no one living in RSU could ride a bike, though I'm not clear why that is.) There is also viable transit from the 29k, 16, and 3A lines (and others in other parts of the County, though not as frequent as the 401) As far as I can tell, the "we don't have transit" is an excuse.
There are even some SFH neighborhoods within walking distnance of metro rail stops (notably Dunn Loring and Vienna) – SFH neighborhoods that have fought to ban multifamily housing.
Let's spread the wealth, or lack there of, to Great Falls, McLean, Falls Church, Fairfax, Vienna, Oakton, Centreville, Arlington, Alexandria…..
Annandale is NOT the home of the Statue of Liberty poem:
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
”
― "quote onthe Statue of Liberty"
Let's share all of this with Great Falls, McLean, Falls Church, Fairfax, Vienna, Oakton, Centreville, Arlington, Alexandria.
There is plenty of transport there to meet and exceed the requirements for rsu's. Inside the western beltway is hyperextended and becoming the SLUM of metro DC. Let's spread the welcome mat. Perhaps several families with 7 cars and 4 car garages could donate an unused car or two to supplement such "missing transit" and even the load while earning another rung on that stairway to heaven…
Why is it that those who have little, give much; while those that have much give so little. And, I mean GIVE, not tax writeoffs.
When giving $10 saves $20 in taxes, that's not giving, it's earning.
Stop depositing the huddled masses inside the beltway, share!
I have just memorized that quote since the battle over RSUs ramped up here in Fairfax. The fear factor drives out compassion and reinforces local barriers to basic American principals of socioeconomic integration.
Actually both Arlington and Alexandria have affordable housing programs, homeless shelters, etc.
I agree that more needs to be done in the northern half of Fairfax County.