Lucy's Hearth Celebrates Opening of New Shelter

MIDDLETOWN, RI -- Thursday was something of a homecoming for Tara D’Ambra. She once found herself in an emergency and sought help at Lucy's Hearth.

"It is very scary when you are homeless coming to a shelter with your kids," she told the crowd at the grand opening of Lucy's Hearth's new home at 19 Valley Road. "You really don’t know what to expect, she said.

"When I first came, the staff at Lucy’s were so incredible, they were so welcoming and helped me and my family adjust to our new reality. They did this so well, even in that old building, imagine what they will be able to do in this new facility – I mean really, the sky is the limit."

D'Ambra wishes no one were ever homeless; but at least, with Lucy's Hearth around, she said, "I know they will get the help they need here to transition back into housing, back to their life, back to their community.”

For the past 30 or so years, homeless women and children had found safety and a new start at Lucy's Hearth. But the shelter had outgrown its quarters, in a former convent behind St. Lucy Church on West Main Road.

So, the board made the decision to refurbish a building into a new shelter with room for more families going through an emergency.

Yesterday, it was time for the grand opening of the new home. U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and other elected officials turned out to help cut the ribbon, hear the speeches and celebrate the success.

The new shelter has "over 9,300 square feet of space," said Jennifer Barrera, the executive director. It's located on 2.2 acres, and with all that room, the designers did find space for two playgrounds.

Inside, there are 14 bedrooms with private baths; two 2-bedroom suites for large families; a new kitchen; food and clothing pantries; a computer lab and multi-purpose room; laundry rooms on the first and second levels; dining room; family lounge; teen lounge and play room; and offices for the staff and social workers.

“This new facility will not only provide a beautiful, safe facility for our families but it represents an overwhelming amount of support of a lot of caring people and the entire community," she said. "We are so grateful!”

Church Community Housing Corp. and Northeast Collaborative Architects worked on the project and 120 donors made it possible.