Homeless men and women in the Quad Cities area have another place to go for nighttime shelter, thanks to the Prescott-based Coalition for Compassion and Justice (CCJ).
They begin lining up outside the entrance at 4 p.m. daily, hoping to be among those who are allowed to enter the emergency shelter to escape the often cold and sometimes wet winter weather.
Up to 60 people a night sleep in the recently opened shelter, the Stagger Straight Community, at 531 Madison Avenue. Doors open at 6 p.m. seven days a week. Beds are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors close at 7 p.m.
Single beds are assigned to those who are admitted. The cost is $2 a night. They must leave the next morning by 7 a.m., after perhaps having coffee or water. However, individuals are allowed to stay for as long as four nights in a row. The facility has segregated restrooms, but currently, no showers.
Paul Mitchell, CCJ executive director, said full-time, part-time and volunteer personnel staff the shelter 24 hours a day. Mitchell himself often sleeps at the shelter to oversee operations.
“We have no permanent residents. This is purely an emergency shelter. However, we do have trained counselors who work with the clients in helping them to find jobs, permanent housing and when needed, food or medical care.
Two such people are Tony Chiarelli and Jo Ann Liszewski, both staff members at the shelter. Chiarelli is a former educator from the Phoenix area, who now serves as a Life Coach for the CCJ. He is supported by AmeriCorps and works with Prescott College “Arizona Serve” while also being enrolled in graduate programs.
Chiarelli said, “Is what we do here easy? No. But is it necessary? Yes. We are doing the right thing, the compassionate thing: to help our fellow human beings who, for whatever the reason, do not have access to regular housing and food and a stable social environment. Some who come here are alcoholics, some are drug addicts and some are mentally or physically handicapped. But they still deserve our support.”
Liszewski serves as intake coordinator and helps assign beds, cleanup activities and on occasion, helps resolve disputes. “We must accept the reality that we have a chronic homeless problem in the area. We need to do what we can to provide them with a safe, secure environment.”
Major Additions Planned
Speaking to a large gathering at the Prescott United Methodist Church last month, Mitchell reviewed the history of the CCJ, now in its 16th year of operation. He described current CCJ operations, including the successful Thrift Store, which opened last summer in a new location on Fair Street.
“We continue to focus on how we can help people. We cooperate with other social service agencies, churches and volunteer groups, and that’s why we are able to offer shelter and food to the needy.”
Mitchell said he and the CCJ board are trying to find funds to build several shower stalls. “We have an estimate that it will cost at least $45,000 to install shower facilities that will meet city, county and state codes and regulations. Considerable plumbing and retrofitting will be necessary, which drives that cost up. We’re hoping for some generous contributions and perhaps contributed materials and construction will help to make those showers happen.”
Also in the works is the relocation of the Open Door kitchen planned for this spring. Currently, it is housed at the Prescott United Methodist Church on Gurley Street.
“When we do that, everything will be consolidated under one roof,” Mitchell said.
Open Door provides food at noon to an estimated 150 people a day.
Mitchell said the shelter was made possible through the generosity of Howard Mechanic, who bought the 7,400-square-foot building, which formerly housed the Miller Valley Indoor Art Market. Details to give full ownership of the property are being worked out between the CCJ board and Mechanic, Mitchell said.
“Do we need additional support? Yes. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We rely on generous contributions and support from the greater community. And now, with the acquisition of the shelter, we’ve seen our budget jump from $560,000 a year to $750,000. But be assured, the CCJ shall continue its mission of providing a community-wide response to poverty and homelessness.”
For more information about the Coalition for Compassion and Justice, visit yavapaiccj.org, or call 928 445-8382. QCBN
By Ray Newton
Photo by Ray Newton