During Frigid Temps, Homeless Find Warmth, Hope On East End

EAST END, NY — As a blast of freezing air sends temperatures plummeting on the East End, some of the area's most vulnerable find warmth — and hope — as a caring community opens its arms and hearts to help the homeless.

According to Dan O'Shea, executive director of the Maureen's Haven Homeless Outreach Program, which operates under the auspices of Peconic Community Council and has an office based in Riverhead, the frigid temperatures always signal an uptick in overnight guests who frequent both the overnight program and Maureen's Haven's day center.

A sea of volunteers from houses of worship across the East End provide the homeless with a place to sleep seven nights a week from November 1 through April 1; the homeless not only have a warm, safe place to sleep, but can enjoy a warm dinner, coffee, dessert, and breakfast, as well as a bagged lunch to bring with them when they leave, packed with love.

O'Shea said on the coldest or most inclement of days, volunteers at the houses of worship may stay a bit longer to give the homeless respite from the bitter cold until the day center in Riverhead opens at 8 a.m. each morning.

Cold temperatures bring the number of homeless who need shelter up to capacity, which is about 30 guests per night. There are also "overflow" churches, where extra guests can go if the normal churches have reached their maximum capacity, he said. Those overflow churches are either staffed by volunteers or his own staff, he said.

During the most bitterly cold days, O'Shea said, the need is great. A caring community donates often — just this week, emergency room nurses at Peconic Bay Medical Center - Northwell Health brought blankets from a drive they'd held recently, he said.

But there's always a dire need for certain items, O'Shea said, including socks, underwear, thermals, sweatshirts, and hoodies.

For individuals hoping to donate, O'Shea suggested calling his staff at 631-727-6831 to see if there's a specific "wish list" that might be granted.

Maureen's Haven, O'Shea said, provides more than just shelter from the cold — it's a place where bonds are formed, where the homeless eat dinner on real china, share conversations and laughter, and find friendship and fellowship.

"The meals are so good," he said. "Grandma's home-cooked chicken soup, homemade meat loaf, turkey at Thanksgiving."

Patch photo by Dan O'Shea.