Uniontown nonprofit creates safe place for personal items for homeless
Thalia Juarez | Herald-Standard
Grace Rugh of St. Cyril & Methodius Church in Fairchance (left) and food pantry coordinator Dana Kroftcheck place winter essentials for homeless individuals on trees in the grassy area across from St. Vincent de Paul Society in Uniontown. “Beyond the Pantry” provides the area’s homeless individuals with cold weather accessories (“Giving Trees”) and a place to store those and other personal items in lockers outside the food pantry (“A place to call my own”).
Eighteen lockers outside of the food pantry at St. Vincent de Paul Society in Uniontown provide homeless individuals with storage, hot water for instant meals and cold weather accessories. Dana Krofcheck food pantry coordinator came up with “Beyond the Pantry” in efforts to provide the area’s homeless individuals with cold weather accessories (“Giving Trees”) and a place to store those and other personal items in lockers outside the food pantry (“A place to call my own”).
Dana Krofcheck food pantry coordinator at St. Vincent de Paul Society in Uniontown came up with “Beyond the Pantry” in efforts to provide the area’s homeless individuals with cold weather accessories (“Giving Trees”) and a place to store those and other personal items in lockers outside the food pantry (“A place to call my own”). Eighteen lockers outside of the food pantry provide homeless individuals with storage, hot water for instant meals and cold weather accessories.
Crochet mats made out of about 600-800 plastic shopping bags each are being made with the help of area churches and volunteers to give to homeless individuals. Dana Krofcheck, food pantry coordinator at St. Vincent de Paul Society in Uniontown, came up with “Beyond the Pantry” to provides the area’s homeless individuals with cold weather accessories (“Giving Trees”) and a place to store those and other personal items in lockers outside the food pantry (“A place to call my own”).
After a homeless man lost his child’s bracelet and a musical instrument to construction on the very ground he stashed them, the food pantry coordinator at St. Vincent de Paul Society in Uniontown set a personal project into motion.
Dana Krofcheck said, “He had a special spot, a sheltered place of sorts where he kept his few belongings, a sleeping bag, mats that we made and some really special things … the construction worker was unaware that these were not debris.”
As she shared in his grief, Kroftcheck was able to provide the man with some new items the same day.
It also led to providing the area’s homeless with storage, hot water for instant meals and cold weather accessories all in one place.
“Beyond the Pantry” is addressing such needs with a set of donated lockers that will be used as a safe haven to store their sleeping bags and personal items from the outdoor elements.
“It pushed us further to say, ‘This is what they need.’ We are seeing this as a hand up instead of a hand out,” said Krofcheck.
The 18 lockers are stationed outside the pantry and are being referred to as, “A place to call my own.” Each person will be assigned two units, one for sleeping gear and the other for personal items, and a combination lock.
There is also a designated locker with a thermos or two of hot water and coffee plus some bowls of instant soup, pasta and side dishes.
In a grassy area across from the building’s parking lot are three “Giving Trees” with clothes line wrapped around them where scarves, hats and gloves are hung.
Krofcheck said this will help the homeless stay warm at night. Despite the risk that others may take items from the trees, Krofcheck said this is something she prays won’t happen.
To date, Krofcheck said several groups, including eighth-grade students at St. John the Evangelist Regional Catholic School in Uniontown, have helped collect items for the trees while the community has donated sleeping bags, blankets, coats, boots and other cold weather necessities.
She said the students shared their concerns with teacher Mary Chelser about other kids their age that don’t have a warm place to sleep at night.
“They are really worried,” said Krofcheck. “People need to be aware this is happening in the same town we live.”
As donations continue to pour in, Krofcheck is teaming up with area churches and volunteers to crochet homeless mats out of shopping bags to make the project complete.
She said the idea for the mats came from a church friend that made several mats and gave them to her. “It’s been a blessing all the way around,” said Krofcheck.
According to Krofcheck, volunteers are needed to help make the mats. “We need people to cut and flatten bags, it’s something for everyone, so it has a lot of hearts involved,” she said.
The first class on how to crochet the mats was held earlier this month with a second scheduled from 10-11 a.m. Dec. 3 at Samaritan’s Well next to the food pantry.
Krofcheck said she is also in the process of arranging for a portable shower from a Connellsville church to be transported to St. Vincent de Paul in the spring with hopes of locating a portable laundry mat.
The Department of Community and Economic Development reported on a given day, over 15,000 Pennsylvanians are known to be homeless and in more rural regions over 8,000 individuals including children were experiencing homelessness either being on the streets, doubled up with family or friends, or in shelters.
At City Mission in Uniontown, Shelter Supervisor Robert Ritchie said the facility is occupied each night by homeless men, women and children and youth ages 12 to 18.
City Mission provides shelter for 500 to 600 people per year with 16 beds in the men’s shelter and 12 in the women’s shelter with one crib. These include transient and migratory individuals, and the agency’s definition of homeless is purposely broad.
“We see it every day and the number keeps growing,” said Ritchie.
The average stay in a shelter for City Mission residents is 16 to 17 days with hygiene products and a food pantry on site.
While City Mission works to provide further services to help the homeless secure housing and get back on their feet, Ritchie said people using the shelter come from all walks of life.
“The key is to provide all levels of support in a clean and healthy environment,” said Ritchie.