Limited room at the inn

Homeless program Safe Nights set to open Nov. 1

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo File photo by EMILY BARNES South Potomac Church in White Plains becomes a warm and safe haven for a week for homeless people in Charles County during Safe Nights. Cots and a playpen are set up in the church's open space. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

It started slowly five years ago.

With only three churches on board at the time, whose leaders seemed a bit skeptical, Safe Nights was launched in the county. A program patterned after Prince George's County's Warm Nights, the mission shepherded by LifeStyles of Maryland and part of the county's homeless and emergency shelter committee, Safe Nights provides a warm bed and two hot meals for the county's homeless — men, women and children — during the coldest months of the year, Nov. 1 through March 31.

But now, it's more than that. The program has grown to include more than 50 churches opening their doors. If it isn't providing the brick and mortar building for the program, churches supply volunteers and materials to make Safe Nights successful.

It is no longer just a food and lodging program.

"In the beginning it was ‘two hots and a cot ...'," explained LifeStyles program director Dana J. Harty. "We are trying to ‘grow' folks, so that come April 1 they have employment, a place to live."

LifeStyles works with the county's department of social services to find jobs for those who are willing to work, or if participants are the working poor, as is often the case, the organization will match them with improved services.

Not every case is a success, but Harty and others, like LifeStyles founder Sandra O. Washington and Diane Warren, Washington's assistant don't give up.

"You have folks who are chronically homeless … some people just find it hard to cope with society," Harty said. "But if we prevent one person from being homeless, it makes you feel like you're doing your job."

How it works

Churches host the program on a rotating week-by-week basis. Cots and playpens are set up in church's auditoriums or meeting rooms with volunteers from the faith community preparing dinner and breakfast for the program's participants.

If a church doesn't have the physical space to host Safe Nights, arraignments are worked out for another church to host the program, with a group from the other church volunteering. If a church can't host or volunteer, it can make donations of cleaning supplies, gift cards and other needed items to keep the program rolling. The first week of the new season of Safe Nights will be held at Faith Gospel Church in Bryans Road with volunteers from Macedonia Baptist Church in Bryans Road working. Faith Gospel will host and work Safe Nights Nov. 15-22.

President of the Ministers Alliance of Charles County and Vicinity and 28-year veteran of Free Gospel, the Rev. James Briscoe was one of the original skeptics about the program. But after seeing what it was, what it could do, Free Gospel became one of the hosting churches.

"Like the scripture says, ‘When I was hungry, you gave me food, I was thirsty, you gave me drink, I was sick and you visited me … what you do unto the least, you do unto me,'" Briscoe said, recalling the Bible verse Matthew 25:40.

The program gives churches the opportunity to practice what they preach.

"Our director says, and I think she might have heard this from somewhere, ‘This is the one program that allows churches to be churches,'" Harty said. "This crosses all denominations, all races, creeds."

The program is limited to 30 people each night. A couple of years ago participation grew to more than 50 people, but the number was too great to effectively run the program and many churches don't have room to house that many people, Harty said.

Those wanting to get a bed for the night at Safe Nights call in by 4 p.m. each day. They are picked up by a LifeStyles driver and taken to the designated church.

People start arriving at 7 p.m., with dinner around 7:20 p.m. By 8 p.m., volunteer-planned activities are conducted. Bedtime for kids 13 and younger is 9 p.m. with lights out for all at 10 p.m.

Wake up call is 6 a.m., breakfast around 6:20 a.m. and everyone is out of the church by 7 a.m.

Some of those at Safe Nights work during the day and if the church doesn't have facilities, showers are taken at LifeStyles. The use of utilities adds up at both the churches and LifeStyles' La Plata offices.

Transportation to and from the locations translates to gas money and vehicle upkeep, then there is the cost of not only food, but for supplies from toilet paper and paper towels, detergent to dish rags, toothbrushes and shaving cream to pillows and blankets.

Imagine having to house and feed an extra 30 family members for a week, then do it for five months — that's the challenge Safe Nights faces

The annual Walk to End Homelessness helps generate funds for Safe Nights. Last year, around $17,000 was collected, this year organizers hope to make at least $20,000. The program costs about $100,000 to run for the five months and with about half of that coming from the county, LifeStyles must come up with the rest, according to Briscoe.

Who it helps

The disastrous economy has its role in the situation.

"It has played a huge role," Harty said. "More and more families with children are coming to us … more people who have never been in this situation [of being homeless] are coming to us."

With only two shelters in the area — Angel's Watch Regional Shelter for women and children in Hughesville and the Robert J Fuller Transitional House For Men in Waldorf booked at capacity — Safe Nights aids — if even for a night or two — those who might be living in the woods or vehicles.

"Up until about two years ago, [people] didn't think we had a homeless problem," said Harty, adding that the stereotypical network news footage of a weary man pushing along a shopping cart full of his belongings isn't an image that usually is seen in Charles County.

"A lot of our folks are the working poor. But as folks come through here and DSS and we keep talking about it, there is more awareness [of the homelessness issues in the area]."

Last year 264 people used Safe Nights. That's 264 different people, Harty pointed out, no duplicates.

Safe Nights has proven itself in Charles County, so much so, that Calvert and St. Mary's counties have set up similar programs.

"It's an infectious program," Harty said, adding that churches ask to host multiple times.

Briscoe confirmed the statement.

"I enjoy it," he said. "It's a wonderful opportunity. Thank God for this program."

staylor@somdnews.com

Get in a helpful LifeStyle

LifeStyles will hold the seventh annual Walk to End Homelessness in Charles County Nov. 21.

The three-mile walk begins at 9 a.m. at La Plata Town Hall, 305 Queen Anne St. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m., but pre-registration is encouraged.

For more information, e-mail homelesswalk@lifestylesofmd.org.

LifeStyles is also making strides with its shoe mission. Through Nov. 30, the organization is collecting used shoes in all sizes and all styles for men, women and children. Drop off shoes between 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday at 612 E. Charles St. in La Plata.

The organization continues to collect donations for its food pantry as well.

Donations of nonperishable food items can be donated to LifeStyles for distribution among those in the county in need.

For more information, call 866-293-0623 or go to www.lifestylesofmd.org.