Shelters available
to homeless
families and
individuals become
especially busy
during the holiday
season
Catharine Kendall Emerald
The Eugene Mission houses 400 beds, which are available for homeless people.
By Cathlene E. McGraw
Oregon Daily Emerald
Each year during the holidays,
families across America
snuggle up to a warm fire and
enjoy the comforts of being
safe at home. Children drift off to
sleep in comfy beds dreaming of
the toys they will receive and
that huge pancake breakfast dad
makes every year.
But imagine for a minute that
your home is where you lay your
backpack down for the night on
the rain-soaked streets of Eugene
and your child’s holiday season
will just be another evening
spent cold, wet and outside.
The Lane ShelterCare center in
Eugene offers help to homeless
families with children all year
round but becomes especially
busy during the holiday season.
Families come to the shelter
through a waiting list. They stay
in one of 29 private dwellings
with a kitchen and are given a
food package. Those who stay
are responsible for cooking their
own meals and for actively pur
suing a job and alternate living
arrangements.
Bonnie Blomberg, volunteer
coordinator for Lane Shelter
I—
Care, said space in the shelter is
limited during the holidays.
“The waiting list is weeks
long, and we are filled to capaci
ty. Twenty-nine families with 55
children will be spending the
holidays at the shelter,” she said.
However, some shelters still
have beds available. The Eugene
Mission offers a dormitory set
ting open 24 hours a day with
400 beds available to anyone for
an indefinite period of time.
“We’ve never been full, even
on the coldest night of the year,”
said Lyn Anitis, the assistant di
rector at the mission. To cele
brate the holidays, the Eugene
Mission works in conjunction
with the Mothers and Children
Shelter to provide company for
the mission’s inhabitants.
“We want to create as much of
a family sense and stability,” said
John Simmons, director of public
relations for the Eugene Mission.
“A lot of the homeless people are
depressed during the holiday
season from being disconnected
from their families.”
Though the Eugene communi
ty is generous during the holiday
season, donating plenty to the
Lane ShelterCare for parents and
children, Blomberg worries that
there is something lacking for the
other people staying at the shel
ter. Adult survivors of traumatic
brain injury and adults with
mental illness also reside within
the shelter.
“We find we come up short for
gifts for our single adults,”
Blomberg said. Cash donations
are greatly appreciated. Individ
uals at the shelter use the donat
ed money to purchase their own
gifts.
Every year the Eugene Mission
has traditional holiday ham din
ner for those who choose to stay
in the shelter and practical gifts
such as donated clothes and toi
letries are distributed.
The best way individuals can
help the homeless at the Eugene
Mission is through food and
clothing donations. Lane Shel
terCare hires interns to work as
companions to families and indi
viduals.
To make a donation or volun
teer to families and individuals
at the Lane ShelterCare, contact
Bonnie Blomberg at 686-1262.
make a donation to Eugene Mis
sion, call 344-3251.
1
dall Emerald
and Dustin
r
when they party
___ 2080
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