Pledge/Prayer: Pres. Peter Manley
Song: Andy
Brents Card Game Winner: Matt Rubin
Sergeants Report: Gerri
Guests: Cathy Zall, Lt. Tim McDonald
Raffle Winners: Marty, Ran, Bill O.
Happy Bucks
Announcements:
Peter Manley: Read an email from Joyce at the Pictorial. They received a national award for community service for the Warm the Children program.
Now is a good time to bring prospective members to our meetings - think of people who would make good members
Chuck Graeb will be our speaker in April. We will be donating to his program, Bikes for Kids
There will be a donor recognition lucheon for the Valley Shore YMCA on Feb. 15. Ask Joan Camire for details
Program:
Jess Wenzel introduced our speaker, Cathy Zall. Cathy has a long resume of working in New York City as director on various building projects. She moved to Connecticut and became the Exec. Director of the New London Homeless Hospitality Center of SE CT. The shelter provides overnight safe lodging for adults not just shelter from the cold. The homeless are vulnerable and their health is at risk. The Shelter is an open room with cots and chairs, 2 bathrooms (no shower facilities) with a capacity of 50 although at times they exceed capacity. Lawrence & Memorial Hosp. provides sheets at no cost. The Shelter opens at 7pm and closes at 7am when everyone must be out. There is a nearby Drop-In Center open from 8:30 to 4:30 where people can sit and stay, have a meal, shower, collect mail and can even be seen by a visiting nurse. Capacity is 60 people but as many as 100 have been there at one time.
75% of the people who use these services do so in the short term due to losing a job, apartment, etc. The other 25% is the chronically homeless many of them suffering from mental illness. They can spiral downhill very quickly. The budget for the center is $380K.
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