October 12, 2009
Really sorry about being away so long...since arriving at my new location I was having a little trouble getting onto the internet. Fortunately a quick call to my servers tech support department and we are back on-line. Can't tell you a whole lot about the services here, or even the homeless population because of the long weekend, I'll know more about that in a week or so.
As usual the YWCA hooked me up with a women's' shelter, small house on a residential street which has 8 beds and a 10 maximum stay. It is open to intoxed which is rare and apparently nothing short of assault with intent will get you barred.
The ladies I am staying with are great, the same mix as everywhere else. We have 2MH, 3 addicts (recovering & current) and 2 economic evictions and me. YWCA runs the battered women's shelter and what was the the women's emergency shelter turned into a rehab centre. So to the best of my knowledge this is the only women's emergency shelter in this town of 85,000+ population.
We eat really well here, just like at home. The rules are tedious to try to follow and I'm sure even more tedious for the staff to have to enforce. Because of the short stay clients are not required to do chores beyond picking up after ones self, our full-time job is to get our shit together. The staff gives you 1 day of down time then they start directing you to services and encouraging clients to explore options. The staff and clients get to know each other very well. The trust from that relationship has allowed the staff to make real inroads with individuals...2 have left the centre this week (3days since my arrival) to go into rehab centres. There seems to be some serious advantages to a smaller centre.
No comments:
Post a Comment