Phoenix’s Winter Respite program helps homeless survive cold nights
Nov 19, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
The temperatures are turning colder, and the city of Phoenix is taking steps to protect those who are out on the street.
Through the Phoenix Respite program, the city is collecting things that will help the homeless keep warm.
“We are asking city of Phoenix residents to donate items such as blankets, warm clothing, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, and new underwear,” said city of Phoenix Homeless Coordinator Kristina Brea.
They’re also taking in some type of food.
“We will take snack packages,” Brea said. “We also provide some items to our walk-in emergency shelter that the city of Phoenix owns. We’re always looking for baby food and formula for the infants at the shelter as well.”
Once collected, the city is working with several charities to distribute the stuff to the homeless.
“We partner with Set Free Ministry, TERROS, The Dream Center, Church on the Street, Healthcare for the Homeless, Community Bridges, and the Salvation Army, just to name a few,” Brea said.
Donations are being accepted at the Travis L. Williams Service Center at 4732 S. Central Ave.; The John Fl. Long Service Center at 3454 N. 51st Ave.; and the Sunnyslope Service Center at 914 W. Hatcher Rd. All three service centers are open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Many of the homeless in the state are also veterans. The Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness has set a goal to eliminate chronic veteran homelessness in the state by the end of 2015.
“We know of every chronically homeless veteran in the Phoenix-metro area, and we are working to either have housed them already or are working to get them into housing,” Sean Price, Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness Executive Board Member, said. “So we have the resources in place to house them.”
Price said he believes Arizona has led the nation in their efforts to get veterans off of the street.
“We’ve seen, overall in our state, a 44 percent decline in homelessness among veterans since 2011,” Price said.
According to Price, The Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness is on track to reach their goal and have every homeless veteran in Arizona housed by the January 2016 homeless census.
“It is a challenge in our community and across the United States, but we have been working diligently on it since roughly 2010 to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015,” he said.
To help the homeless in Arizona this winter season, visit the city of Phoenix’s Homeless Programs Department website for more information on these services. The Winter Respite program started this month and will continue until March.
KTAR’s Cooper Rummell contributed to this report.
