United Way Windham News

Morningside Shelter

For our house is our corner of the world…
- Gaston Bachelard

At Morningside Shelter, a bed is just the beginning. “It’s not just a place to bunk for the night,” explains Board member Biz Dana; it’s an intensive residential program aimed at helping people in crisis get back on stable footing so they can “get housed and stay housed.” As one current resident says: “This is the place to be if you’re about getting your life back together.”

Morningside, a bedrock of the Brattleboro area for thirty years, is one of the Windham County United Way’s community partners. Grants from United Way give local organizations like Morningside the necessary resources to keep our community safe and vibrant. “Morningside does a lot to take on the burden of the community for the benefit of the community,” notes Board member Peter Hayward.

Clients who come to Morningside make a serious, considered commitment to follow the strict house rules. They must stay sober, observe the curfew, and check-in twice a day with a staff member. In return, Morningside makes a long-term, compassionate commitment to the residents. The staff members, called “advocates,” work with clients over many months to clear away the full range of obstacles in their path.  

“Morningside has some of the best professional staff in the state,” Peter says. “They work with you,” concurs current resident Rick. “You can talk to them.”

The staff helps residents with everything from dealing with the court system to finding good dental care, from learning household budgeting to navigating the social security bureaucracy. “They’re understanding and compassionate,” says Tom, a current shelter resident. “They help make phone calls, deal with legal papers, everything. No one else would ever do that. These people are really caring. They’ve got a lot of love.”

While the staff seeks solutions to every kind of concern residents raise, no one at Morningside loses sight of the fundamental importance of safe shelter. “It’s really hard to put the other things in place if you don’t have a house to go to,” says development director Sara Anderson. “It’s the foundation from which to do all the other things.” You can’t begin to get your life together if you’re on the street, Rick notes. “You need a roof over your head and a place to be in to do all that work on yourself.”

The staff also realizes that rebuilding a stable, productive life takes time. Many of their clients are coming back from the brink of despair, and their recovery can’t be rushed. “Some places give you just enough to fail. The biggest thing Morningside does is give you enough time,” says Tom.

“There’s no cut-off time at Morningside,” Sara explains. “People are able to stay as long as they are actively pursuing their goals. We want people to be successful so they don’t come back.”

While time may be the secret to the shelter’s success, it also means a lengthy waiting list, now hovering around 25 names. Many prospective residents, eager to get their life back on track, call each day to see if a spot might be opening up. “I was homeless, living down by the river,” Rick recalls. “I had heard about Morningside and knew it would be a good place to be, to start all over again, but every time I called, it was full. When you call and call and it’s full, that’s really depressing.” The shelter is planning an expansion to accommodate eight more beds, and is currently raising money to fund it.

At the moment, Morningside has 24 beds on site. Hundreds more people are served each year through the shelter’s outreach programs. For example, through its “representative payee” program, the shelter works as a friendly intermediary between landlords and at-risk tenants to insure that rent is paid on time and evictions are avoided. The shelter case workers also maintain close contact with former residents, meeting with them on a weekly basis and providing them ongoing support as long as they require it. Finally, Morningside staff works with homeless people outside the shelter to secure immediate housing.

The need keeps growing, and at the same time, the demographics of homelessness are shifting. Historically, most shelter clients were single men. Now Morningside is seeing more mothers with children, and also dual-parent families. The organization continues to stretch and grow to adapt to meet the community’s needs.

Money from United Way helps Morningside serve its changing clientele. At the same time, United Way funds, granted as the result of an extensive community review process, are an invaluable symbol of local support. “To get recognized by the United Way through its allocation process is really to receive a certificate of excellence from the community,” says Peter, who sits on the Morningside Board and also volunteers for United Way. “I can’t think of a more prestigious award than that.”

Each month, Morningside residents put aside money for future rent and a security deposit. When they are financially and emotionally ready, they move into a new place, armed with newly-honed skills, a strong support network, and newfound confidence. “We celebrate the moment when people get housed,” says Sara. “That one positive change can result in a whole chain of positive changes.”

Tom is not ready to go out on his own yet, but the pieces are beginning to fall into place. “I’m doing a lot of hard work. I’ve got sixty days clean and sober coming up, I’ve got prospects for work, I’m going to be going to voc rehab for help with my business, I’ve just recently gotten back to together with my family. You know, I have a chance now. I have a chance at this thing, and I’m so grateful that this was available to me.”

Kate Jellema
Windham County United Way e-news
2/3/2010