The Northeastern CT No-Freeze Project

NEWS RELEASE

The Northeastern CT No-Freeze Project

Killingly, CT — 2019 —A coalition of nonprofit groups, governments and churches is working on providing a shelter where local homeless people can spend the night out of the cold this winter. “It’s a collaborative effort to provide shelter during the no-freeze months (from December-March),” said Kathleen Krider, Director of Community Engagement at the Access Community Action Agency.

The northeastern Connecticut social services agency already operates a year-round homeless shelter on Reynolds Street in Danielson. It’s the only one in the area. Last winter, Krider said, the shelter, which has 40 beds, became overwhelmed on some cold nights, taking in as many as 15 more people, including families with children, than it had beds for. “Our facility is simply not equipped to handle an overflow like that, especially with families already in the building.” Krider said.

Because there are so many people who need shelter in the cold winter months so that they don’t freeze the coalition was formed last April to create a Northeast CT Overnight No-Freeze Shelter that would be available this winter. In addition to Access, coalition members include the Killingly-Brooklyn Interfaith Council, nonprofit agency TEEG and the Eastern Connecticut Coordinated Access Network (ECAN).

After Krider spoke last month at a meeting of the Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (NECCOG), the Town of Brooklyn donated $2,000 toward what Krider said would be a $75,000 cost to operate the shelter. The Killingly Town Council then donated $5,000 for the shelter. NECCOG Executive Director John Filchak said he expects other towns to provide funds as well. “She was well-received,” he said. “It’s great that these leaders get it,” Krider said. A tentative site that can accommodate up to 30 people has been identified the the No-Freeze Shelter in Brooklyn, and can be served by public transit lines, according to a fact sheet from the coalition. The Shelter would be open overnight from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m.+

Priorities, she said, are to raise enough funds to pay for operating the No-Freeze Shelter, and  to find and train up to 60 volunteers who would spend one evening per month there to supplement paid staff members. 

Once up and running, the Shelter would provide  a warm dry place for people experiencing homelessness to sleep, with access to bathroom facilities . The goal is to have It open 7 nights a week from December to March. Volunteers will work from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and paid staff will be on site from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.  Animals will be sheltered at no cost to the NECCOG.  Filchak noted that some homeless people who have pets are reluctant to stay at shelters because their animals aren’t allowed. “We would take in their dog at our shelters at no cost,” if they do stay overnight at the shelter, Filchak said. “They put themselves or others at risk by trying to tough it out.”

The Northeastern Connecticut Transit District (NECTD) will bus people to site with a  with a 7 p.m. arrival, and provide rides from the site at 8 a.m. The Collaborative’s goal is to raise $75,000, so far has  h$29,500 in hand. The funds have come from Access ($15,000), TEEG ($2,500), the ECAN ($5,000), Killingly ($5,000), and  Brooklyn ($2,000). Donations for this project can be made to “Access CAA” with “No-Freeze Project” written on the memo line and either postal mailed or dropped off at 1315 Main Street, Willimantic, CT 06226, or you can to the www.accessagency.org/donate.

The Access Community Action Agency is designated by the federal and state government as the anti-poverty agency in northeast Connecticut. Access provides food, affordable housing, job readiness services, and other pathways to economic self-reliance for vulnerable under-resourced families and individuals throughout the region. For more information about Access’s services, call (860) 450-7400 in the Willimantic area, (860) 412-1600 in the Danielson area, or visit www.accessagency.org.

Elisha Sherman, Communications & Development Coordinator

(860) 450-7400, ext. 7456/ Elisha.Sherman@accessagency.org