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Hope for the homeless

John Hazen White Jr.
Posted 10/13/11

In these difficult economic times it’s not unusual to know or to have heard about someone who may have faced their own housing crisis in the form of actual or potential homelessness. It may be a …

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Hope for the homeless

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In these difficult economic times it’s not unusual to know or to have heard about someone who may have faced their own housing crisis in the form of actual or potential homelessness. It may be a relative, neighbor or friend, man, woman or child, young, middle-aged or older person, as homelessness can strike anyone. Here in Rhode Island we have over 7,000 people currently homeless as we come into the change of season and the onset of winter ahead. Our shelters, facing budget and assistance cutbacks, have been struggling to meet the demand for shelter during the past few months, which is an unusual seasonal situation that shows just how bad the situation really is. And many of these folks, including children, have been homeless for several years running now.

House of Hope is one of the unsung organizations in our state that is trying to make a difference in confronting the tragedy of homelessness. Located in the Apponaug village of Warwick, just a stone’s throw from Warwick City Hall, House of Hope, which is part of the state’s Coalition for the Homeless, operates a slightly different model than the larger and better-known Crossroads RI organization. House of Hope focuses on meeting basic needs first – offering temporary and permanent housing – often in small residential housing units that function much like the boarding houses of the past – and in providing comprehensive social services to help get people back on their feet. The organization, which was founded in 1989 by an exceptional lady and tireless advocate for the poor, Jean Johnson, now operates 15 properties in Warwick, taking in individuals and families.

House of House has a staff of over 30 and relies on volunteers and support from the community (disclosure note: the Taco/White Family Foundation is one of its benefactors). Many of the individuals it helps are homeless men, often with substance abuse problems. By getting a roof over these individuals to start with, House of Hope then works with them to help rebuild their lives, and it has had remarkable success in that endeavor.

One individual who presently lives in an apartment provided by House of Hope narrowly escaped being crushed when the dumpster he was in was picked up by a trash hauler. After coming out of the hospital and into the care of House of Hope, he now volunteers for the organization. As part of its comprehensive approach, House of Hope assisted his efforts to get Social Security disability, and today he uses his disability payments to help pay for his apartment.

Under a state contract House of Hope also runs Harrington Hall in the Pastore Complex in Cranston. With the closure and then demolition of the Welcome Arnold shelter to make way for the State Police headquarters that then wasn’t built on that ground, Harrington Hall is a major intake center and a very busy place. Come the late afternoon along Pontiac Avenue on any given day of the week, one can see men walking to Harrington Hall for the evening. The hall functions as a triage center for assessment and as the first step for as many as can be accommodated into House of Hope’s housing properties. Food service is provided by the Providence Rescue Mission, another vital organization in our state helping the homeless.

With an unprecedented number of people homeless, demands on the resources of this most basic element of the social safety net – providing for the homeless – is under great strain and needs our support. When that Providence Rescue Mission envelope comes in the mail in the weeks ahead, don’t throw it away with the junk mail. And you can make a donation to House of Hope by going to www.thehouseofhopecdc.org. It could save someone’s life this winter.

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  • Drew

    What editorial credentials does this guy possess other than having an extra name? I guess self-promotion does work. Homeless initiatives are great as long as he can afford to live far away from the shelters. The amount of money spent on rehabing these InMyBackyard shelters would make Extreme Makeover Home Edition blush. And then the element they attract and harbor!

    Thursday, October 13, 2011 Report this

  • Serpico

    John Hazen White is performing a vital service for the homeless who contradictory are not all bums or drug adicts. Many whom I have met and read about are people with families that have undergone the loss of their homes through forclosures and work layoffs with no hope in sight.If we must criticize anyone it should be the big banks, we all know who they are, that allowed some of these people to get loans that the banks knew they could not pay back and consequently, the banks could take the homes and gain whatever equity was in them and then sell the homes

    Personally, I would like to see Mr. White champion the police and firemen who are about to have their pensions cut.Since, in the past when he needed help he didn't hesitate to call the police. Perhaps the next time he needs help he'll call a politician..

    Tuesday, October 25, 2011 Report this