Re: Need help with sheter start - details please

Bonnie Briggs (s248_1132@hotmail.com)
Wed, 11 Nov 1998 06:15:55 PST 

>Guess more details would be a good start.  I would like to have a place 
that
>treats the homeless like they are humans and not just wharehose them. A 
place
>where a person can feel comfortable and not be afaird of being hurt or 
robbed.
>Our county is rather small so right now we are looking at about 25 
beds.  I
>mean real beds, not cots not mats on the floors, but real beds with 
sheets and
>blankets, with appox 5 people to a room.  we have looked into an old 
victorian
>hose that is for sell for this purpose.  I alos want people to be able 
to
>bring their pets with them, if they have them and have an area that 
they can
>stay.  so far thats the basics. If anyone is interested in the more far
>reaching plans please let me know.
>
>Thaks
>Beth


Drums in the park. 
Hi Beth,
  I am a former homeless person with experience in the hostels of 
Toronto. Your idea sounds great, all hostels should be modelled after 
it. In the hostels I was in, the homeless are treated like numbers, not 
people. I like theidea of the Victorian house. I hope you can get it. 
Keep us posted. 
Bonnie

BTW, who would draw up the rules in your hostel, would they be drawn up 
with input from the homeless? That is very important. The very 
restrictive rules in hostels are one reason why many homeless people 
choose to stay on the street. 
  Also, if you're going to be serving meals, will you recognize food 
alergies and choices (i.e. vegetarian vs. meat eaters)? In my 
experience, hostels consistently ignore that. Good luck.
  Oh, I almost forgot, health needs. If someone got sick whila at your 
hostel, will you have the medicine to help them? I was deathly sick when 
I was in a women's hostel with diarrhes and vomiting. All the hostel 
could give me was diluted Ginger Ale. Luckily, it didn't get worse. But 
if someone had had a serious health condition, the hostel was not 
equipped to handle it. 

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