It could happen to any one of us. In the blink of an eye, your lights are off. Next? There is no functioning heater. No food or water is available. This is the reality that many New England residents are facing today.
Rewind to 2003; an unforgiving winter claims another person’s life on the streets. That same year is when the Windham Region No Freeze Project decided enough was enough. One more person should not have had to go without the bare minimum. Beginning as a seasonal cold-weather shelter, it has since expanded into offering support year-round. Executive director Avery Lenhart describes the No Freeze Project as an agency providing free-of-charge, disability-friendly emergency shelter to unhoused individuals above 18. Known widely by its new uplifting name, Project HOPE, their priority is to foster a safe and private space that helps people maintain a sense of dignity.
The space consists of two floors hosting five double-occupant suites, which feature two bunks, showers, and a washer and dryer, guaranteeing hygiene care for everyone who stays. Additionally, this facility is ADA compliant, with other rooms specifically designed to accommodate wheelchair users. Well-behaved pets are welcome, with temporary foster-care systems also an option. Although Project HOPE does not offer food services directly, they extend a hand to the Covenant Soup Kitchen located just 5 minutes down the road. These visits can be implemented into the shelter’s mental health initiative, in which they encourage guests to spend time outside daily and connect with themselves. Lenhart emphasizes that Project HOPE is a low-barrier program rather than just a shelter, focusing on long-term housing while encouraging people to come exactly as they are.
According to the U.S census bureau, the Willimantic poverty rate is 23.4%. In Lenhart’s own words, anyone to experience homelessness as a child is more likely to experience it again in their lifetime as adults. Personalized case management meetings are held weekly to ensure that everyone receives an equal opportunity for permanent housing. A computer room is readily available to residents for job-searching, writing resumes, and apartment scouting. When asked about factors that lead to homelessness and make shelters so important? Lenhart highlighted the rates at which unhoused people are kicked out of recovery centers due to relapse, and how addictions such as alcohol and drugs can often overtake someone’s life. Finally, she defines the project’s success by its drive to end cycles, taking charge in prevention work, and expressing compassion. Arguably the strongest call for connection, once again: “Come exactly as you are.”
