Shelter Update
So far this winter season, no people have died on the streets of
Tallahassee. This should not sound unusual it should be a very
rare occurrence in Florida.
But, last winter, four human beings were found dead in our community. Two of them received
no mention in the press, and the two who did warrant a small article were
forgotten rather quickly.
Here at The Shelter, we can't forget
them because prior to their deaths they were our guests, but they
found our overcrowded conditions intolerable. They decided to go
back to their outdoor camps to live - and to die. We may have
known these lost souls best and we also knew them last.
One of our
biggest fears was that a homeless person with chronic medical
problems would die inside the walls of The Shelter, but now we
realize it may be preferable to the alternative of dying in a
secluded location with no one to get them help. At least here,
they have a chance to live by getting them to the hospital when we
become aware of a medical crisis, which is quite often.
We may
never know how many lives are being saved by just providing simple
shelter from the elements, nursing care and by our filing the many
prescriptions for antibiotics, heart medications, blood pressure
pills and even psychotropic drugs. We may never know how many
taxpayer dollars are saved by our crisis intervention of the
mentally ill people that now make up over half of The Shelter's
guests. Costs of incarceration are ten times the cost of housing
them here.
If you choose to continue being part of the vital
community support that we have counted on for twenty years, please
let us know which key area you prefer your contributions to go to:
Emergency Fund
Goes directly to individuals or families, includes
prescription costs, bus tickets to reunite them with relatives,
dental extractions, start-up utility deposits, etc.
Program Supplies
Bath tissue, laundry detergent, and food related supplies.
Capital Campaign
Longer term fund to enable The Shelter to expand the facility and add beds.
We are currently averaging 229 guests each night with only room for 110 permanent beds.
The Shelter is a United Way agency, and 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization, but we would not be able to operate without the
goodwill of people like you. Thank you so much, on behalf of our
staff, our board and 3,000+ people each year.
Mel Eby,
Executive Director
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