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Recent reports indicate there’s a
need for a homeless shelter locally, and the newly reunited Saranac
Lake Ecumenical Council of Churches intends to address that need.
Reverend Ann Gaillard of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church told WNBZ last
week that since she moved to Saranac Lake two years ago, she’s
encountered numerous individuals in need of both food and a place to
stay.
“I started talking with other church officials at the Methodist
Church and St. Bernard’s, and found that they received the same
inquiries,” Gaillard said.
Gaillard learned that many churches have accounts set up at local
hotels. But she thinks a joint effort by the Ecumenical Council can
take it a step further and create a permanent shelter for the
homeless.
Last winter, church officials met with a representative from a
Franklin County church that runs a small, three-bed shelter in
Malone. Gaillard says statistical information shows the number of
homeless individuals in the North Country is higher than one would
expect. “There is a need, and this really is an issue,” she
said.
Gaillard notes that while there are several transients locally who
are in need of shelter now, the unpredictable nature of the economy
could put some people at risk that otherwise wouldn’t need such
services. “Some people are a single paycheck away from being on the
streets, so having a place locally would be a tremendous comfort,”
Gaillaird said.
Essex County Social Services Commissioner John O’Neill says the
Ecumenical Council’s interest in establishing a homeless shelter is
key in an area where homelessness is often invisible. “It’s
not like in a big city where people sleep wherever they can find a
dry spot,” he said. “You have people who stay wherever they can.”
And while Social Services does what it can to help those in need,
O’Neill says there are plenty of people who fall between the
system’s cracks. “We see a lot of people who either don’t meet
all of the requirements for assistance or, as if often the case,
they can’t find an apartment in the Adirondacks cheap enough to
qualify for rental subsidies,” he said.
O’Neill adds that he believes homelessness is a growing problem
here. Past attempts to start up a homeless shelter in some rural
areas have met opposition. “I’m not pointing the finger,”
O’Neill said. “But you get a lot of people saying this is a good
idea, just don’t put the shelter near me.”
Reverend Gaillard says plans for a shelter in Saranac Lake are in
the early stages. The Ecumenical Council expects to apply for
nonprofit 501(c)3 status, which would allow the group to explore
grants to go toward the purchase of a permanent facility.
She adds that community support in the form of monetary donations is
also welcome. Or, residents can donate food and clothing at any of
the local churches. “This will take everyone’s cooperation and help
to get going,” she said.
-Chris Morris, 7-2-09
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