SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | 5A
SHELTER from page 1A
The main drawback was that
it wouldn’t have heat, light or
electricity.
About that time, FECWS ex
officio and past president Pas-
tor Greg Wood was in contact
with Florence City Manager
Erin Reynolds, who in turn was
in contact with Lane County.
Ultimately, Lane County had
received funds for COVID-19
and the 2020 wildfire season,
and had purchased 120 Pal-
let-brand shelters from Pallet, a
company based in Everett and
Seattle, Wash.
These
8-by-8-by-8-foot
cubes are “aluminum, fire re-
sistant and easily sanitized,”
Burke said. “And as long as you
have electricity, they have heat
and light. There’s also a bed
that comes with a mattress and
some shelves.”
Since the FECWS only opens
on nights where Florence’s tem-
perature is freezing, having a
ready-made option to provide a
heated night’s sleep to the shel-
ter’s guests was paramount.
“It was really exciting when
Lane County said, ‘Yeah, we’ll
loan you 20 of these,’” Burke
said. “We’ve got a solution and
it’s not only a solution, but it’s
got heat and light included.
That to me is just wonderful.
And it really is acknowledging
that Lane County doesn’t stop
over in Veneta. The coast is
Lane County, too.”
Taking only about 30 min-
utes to set up, the insulated
Pallet shelters can be snapped
together on site and include
amenities such as electrical
connections, heat, windows,
beds, mattress and a door
which locks from the inside.
The units can also be easily un-
assembled and stored on a pal-
let when not in use.
Burke emphasized that the
Pallet shelters belong to the
county and are part of the Siu-
slaw Region’s temporary plan.
Lane County has indicated that
more of its shelters need place-
ment. Meanwhile, places like
Cottage Grove have purchased
their own supply.
The option for powered
units led to another challenge
for FECWS. Its former site
at the Presbyterian Church
did not have enough electric
capacity to provide for the
shelters.
“You need 400 amps in or-
der to do 20 shelters,” Burke
explained.
The FECWS board began
to ask where they could sit-
uate 20 of the 8-by-8 shelters,
along with restrooms, wash
stations and the other com-
ponents to make a shelter site
feasible.
Wood presented a solution.
As president of First Step Flor-
ence, a transitional housing
program that provides a way
for people to access a stable liv-
ing situation, he offered the use
of land the 501(c)3 had pur-
chased between Spruce Street
and Highway 101 near Sand
Ranch.
“Right now, it’s just trees and
brush. So we said, ‘OK, why
don’t we put our shelters out on
First Step Florence’s property?
Because there’s an electric box
there,’” Burke said. “So Central
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zen to death,” Burke said. “I
just can’t bear the idea that that
would happen.”
Each day the shelter plans to
open, FECWS flies little white
flags containing the image of a
person sleeping under a shelter.
These are located around town,
but especially at Siuslaw Pub-
lic Library, Safeway and Fred
Meyer.
“We’re not going to be able to
pick people up simply because
of COVID,” Burke said, lament-
ing the loss of transportation to
the site.
However, Rhody Express
Lincoln came out and told us
what we need to do.”
The property could support
the shelters but would need
vegetation clearing. Notice
went up in the neighborhood
on Nov. 5 of the potential work.
This matter was discussed
at the Florence City Council
meeting on Nov. 16, when the
four seated members of the
council voted to approve the
temporary FECWS site loca-
tion request. (Read more in the
“TITLE” article in today’s edi-
tion of the Siuslaw News.)
“When I heard about this,
“Even if you’re just one part of the solution, you’re a
part. You know, I can’t fix the world, but I can do this.
I can do this with a whole bunch of other people.”
— Florence Emergency Cold Weather Shelter
President Patricia Burke
I thought my heart was going
to burst,” Burke said. “It was
as though all this stuff was
just falling into place that said,
‘We’re going to be able to do
this.’”
The plan is to clear brush
from the site, lay a gravel ac-
cess road, add fencing and then
install the 20 shelters, a 10-by-
10-foot office space, two re-
strooms, two wash stations and
a 12-by-12-foot canopy. The
whole site will be contained
within 60 feet by 100 feet and
have gated access.
“All of this is very temporary,
because this is not something
that’s permanent at all,” Burke
said. “We are loaned these by
Lane County.”
In addition, she emphasized
the privacy of the site.
“It will be private, it will be
gated and it will be supervised
at all times,” she added.
Burke again stated that this
is temporary for FECWS, and
that people would only be using
the site when the temperature
dips to 32 degrees or below.
The most the shelter has been
open in one year was 23 days.
“But those were 23 days
when people could have fro-
is still operating. Burke said if
people need a ride to the shelter
site, they will be able to ride the
Rhody Express to Fred Meyer
and walk from there.
Once people arrive at the
FECWS site, volunteers at the
intake office will check them in.
“We have very, very stringent
rules about how you can stay
with us,” Burke said. “There’ll
be the same rules that were
there when we were in the Pres-
byterian Church — plus our
COVID protocols.”
These include questions
about health and checking
temperatures, as well as the
standard policy on drugs and
alcohol. In addition, once peo-
ple check into the shelter, they
cannot leave and come back.
“It’s just for the safety of ev-
eryone,” Burke said.
Then, people will get as-
signed to a Pallet Shelter and
be able to drop off their belong-
ings and get out of the cold.
“There’s really a lot of space
inside,” Burke said.
The units are essentially for
single people, though they can
accommodate more, just not
during COVID-19.
If families come to the shel-
ter, FECWS has an arrange-
ment with Siuslaw Outreach
Services to house them in a
motel room for the night.
All guests will also receive a
boxed hot meal from FECWS
volunteers, as well as tokens for
warm showers.
“Being at the Presbyterian
Church was wonderful, simply
because we could take care of
people,” Burke said. “But allow-
ing people the privacy of their
own space is 100 times better.
Even if it’s just for one or two
nights, it’s something to build
on.”
The strong relationship be-
tween FECWS and the Presby-
terian Church continues, as the
church has promised the use of
its kitchen for the warm meals
the shelter provides. Currently,
that is both breakfast and din-
ner.
The shelter accepts dona-
tions of baked goods, cooked
meals for 20 or more people,
fruit, and bagged chips, gra-
nola bars and other snacks.
To coordinate meals or to
volunteer, people can contact
FECWS Volunteer Coordina-
tor Meris Robison.
“We have probably about
100 volunteers, and many of
them are active in the com-
munity in other ways,” Burke
said.
After each night at the shel-
ter, FECWS volunteers will be
cleaning the units and washing
loads of laundry.
While the shelter has plenty
of sheets, it could always use
more blankets and socks, since
FECWS often sends guests
away with materials to stay
warm.
On days when the shelter
will be open for consecutive
nights, people will be able to
leave their belongings locked
in the shelters, though they will
still have to leave for the day.
One thing the shelter can-
not do is provide mental health
or addiction services, though
Burke hopes that more of those
services will come to the area.
She has already heard of a mo-
bile dental unit that wants to
connect with FECWS. Those
services will come later as the
community connects with
FECWS and its mission.
As seen at the Nov. 16 city
council meeting, however,
thoughts are still divided.
“There is a fear, I think for
people who don’t look like us
or don’t act like us or whatev-
er,” Burke said. “But the way to
solve that is, get them under
shelter and give them the ser-
vices that are needed. Then, if
they’re willing, they become
members of our society, which
they already are.”
She said that 20 to 25 per-
cent of the guests at FECWS
are working members of soci-
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member
ety. Some spend most nights
in their cars. Still others are
collecting Social Security, but
it is not enough to cover their
needs.
“They can’t find anything
that they can afford, even If
they could find something that
was available,” Burke said about
local housing. “The rental and
housing situations here are just
dismal.
“We have people who car
camp and people who tent
camp, and you might not know
it, but they’re bagging your gro-
ceries. It’s a range of people that
we’re serving, and the least we
can do is provide them a safe
shelter,” she said.
It’s part of a network of basic
human needs that Burke wants
to see met in the community.
“It’s going to benefit the
whole community because it’s
kind and it’s compassionate,”
she said. “Hopefully, some
of the people who’ve been so
negative about the unsheltered
folks will take the opportunity
to maybe come to breakfast or
come and serve dinner. You’ll
find out that these men and
women are not the boogey-
man.”
FECWS also has positive
support, which can be seen in
both its 100 volunteers as well
as in the funds it has been able
to raise.
“We’ve been fortunate to
have some very generous do-
nors, but we need more money
because this is going to be $25-
to $30,000,” Burke said.
That will include work on
prepping the site for the tem-
porary shelter.
However, according to the
staff report on Nov. 16, “The
proposed partnership between
the City of Florence, FECWS,
and Lane County will pro-
vide resources including Pallet
shelters with a value of over
$100,000 for the Florence area
during the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic emergency.”
“Even if you’re just one part
of the solution, you’re a part,”
Burke said. “You know, I can’t
fix the world, but I can do this. I
can do this with a whole bunch
of other people.”
The FECWS board includes
Burke as president, Haydel as
vice president, Treasurer Paul
Hirsch, Secretary Judith Preis-
ler and Wood as ex officio.
Burke said she plans to ex-
pand the board as time goes on.
“The more people who have
veto and decision power, the
more information and sharing
comes through. The smaller
the group, the fewer the ideas,”
she said.
While the site is temporary,
FECWS is not.
“When it comes down to us,
all of us are human,” Burke stat-
ed. “We all have a responsibil-
ity to each other, as far as I’m
concerned. My big thing is, let’s
see if we can take care of peo-
ple and give them dignity and
respect.”
For more information about
the Florence Emergency Cold
Weather Shelter, visit face-
book.com/FECWS. To make a
tax-deductible donation to the
shelter, send funds to PO Box
659, Florence, Ore. 97439.
Contact us:
Director Kristi Ryan
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