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Last Thursday, Justin Wall prepares meat loaf for that evening’s dinner
at
Community Lifeline in downtown Shelton. The nonprofit is serving three
meals a day. including bagged dinners handed to anyone who drives up
at 5 pm. Wall was hired three weeks ago to work fulltime for the agency.
Journal photo Gordon Weeks
More beds, meals at
Community Lifeline
Nonprofit sheltering
people during pandemic,
By Gordon Weeks
gordon@masc)ncounty corn
To help homeless people through
the coronavirus pandemic, the non-
profit Community Lifeline in down-
town Shelton has expanded its bed
capacity from 32 to 45, and is serving
three meals a day, including bagged
dinners to anyone who drives up at
pm.
“For ,us, we’ve gone from a half
time shelter to 24/7,” said Barb Weza,
the agency’s executive director. She
added, “It’s actually gearing us up to
be a full-time shelter.”
About 65% of the patrons have sub-
stance abuse or mental health strug-
gles, Weza said.
“When people have continual shel- I
' ter, they are healing,” she said.
Clients gather for daily meetings.
“We’re a family and a community, and
we want everyone to be heard,” Weza
said.
Patrons who are in , recovery are
supporting each other, Weza said.
“We’re seeing people share their,
faith,” she said.
Community Lifeline has been
working with county health and
emergency management employees to
make the shelter as safe as possible,
Weza said.
The nonprofit has set up an isola-
tion room and a quarantine area, in
case they are needed, she said.
Patrons sanitize their hands on the
way in. They are instructed to stay at
least 6 feet apart, wear masks, respect
themselves and the staff members,
“and hold each other accbuntable for
what is acceptable,” Weza said. “We’re
continually policing,” she added.
Outside the shelter, Brewer Park
has been closed by the City of Shel-
tdn. Community Lifeline worked with
Shelton police to identify people who
were selling and buying drugs and
keeping them away from the shelter,
Weza said.
The new beds have been placed
in the dining hall. An average of 22
people have been spending the night,
Weza said.
On Tuesday, Smoking Mo’s pre-
pared a lunch of barbecue pork and
beans. Restaurant workers who have
been laid off because their businesses
have been temporarily closed are vol-- ,
unteering to work in the kitchen.
Community Lifeline is applying for
grants to help pay for the expanded
services.
“People are asking us every day,
“How can we help?’ “ Weza said.
A huge challenge is the lack of sup-
port services for clients, including
help for mental health, Weza said.
“Some days, we feel like we’re on
our own,” she said.
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