Shelter Serves the South Windsor Community

Shelter Serves the South Windsor Community

Dr. Saud Anwar

On October 11, 2013, I visited the Tri-Town Shelter. I had known about this shelter for many years. At times, patients who have experienced social and/or financial challenges have been helped by the shelter. During a recent public hearing, Mr. Garvin Boudle (SW resident) mentioned that community members were among those individuals using the shelter more than ever before. This raised my concerns and motivated me to learn more about this situation.  In recent years, the South Windsor Food Bank has been used more than any time in the past. The need for food services may have tripled. With this in mind, I visited the shelter that serves South Windsor and surrounding towns. 

What I learned during my visit certainly reinforced the serious nature of the situation. The economy, unemployment and the high cost of living have contributed to individual insolvency. Contrary to some opinions, the majority of people using the shelter are not indigent, unemployable, lazy, addicted to drugs or mentally ill. They are people much like you and me who have experienced reversals in their financial positions. Here is what I learned during my visit: 

- Approximately 60% of the people in the shelter are between 20-50 years of age. About 25% of    them are children less than 14 years of age. 
- About 40% of the people have had some college education and 50% have a high school   diploma.   
- The shelter has to deny access to about 6 people a day because of space issues.
- In general, people are forced to use the shelter because their expenses exceeded their income. (the expenses include taxes)
- Fifty percent of the cases are related to under or unemployment.
- The majority of the people using the shelter are Caucasian.
- There have been no illegal or new immigrants at the facility.

I believe that there should be no homelessness in our society. Many of our neighbors face unforeseen challenges. As we make decisions and create policies, it is our duty to be a “voice for the voiceless.” In our busy lives, it is easy to forget that there are many people who are struggling just to survive. Winter is coming; image how difficult life would be if you had no one and no place to go?  One of the things all of us can think about is a way to strengthen our local economy. Identifying a broad strategy for economic development and attracting new business will, in the broader sense, benefit all of our residents.  

I want to thank Mr. Pieter Nijssen, Executive Director for Tri-Town Shelter Services, and Mr. Garvin Boudle, who will become the president of the Shelter’s Board of Directors (January 2014), for sharing their knowledge and compassion. Members of the community, who would like to help the shelter remain in a position to serve those who most need it, are encouraged to visit the Shelter’s website.  

http://www.tri-townshelterservices.org/