Emergency Shelters

0:08 We you know just a typical family trying
0:18 to make things work and we got robbed at
0:21 gunpoint. Ended up losing my house pretty
0:25 much everything that I own. I got this
0:27 shutoff notice and I didn't know what I
0:29 was gonna do I was like “Oh Lord what am
0:31 I gonna do?”
0:32 I can't even feed my family or pay the
0:34 rent because I lost my job. I have two
0:37 kids and have a wife and I can't even
0:38 give him a dollar. The lowest point when
0:41 I didn't know where I was going to take
0:45 my kids. You know I thought, “well, I'm
0:51 ended up having to get some cardboard
0:57 boxes and cut it up you know as long as
0:59 I got our blankets. We could
1:01 probably go you know and sleep. You know
1:04 how a lot of people you know they talk
1:08 about things that they have, but there’s a
1:11 lot of people out here that don't have
1:13 and they're struggling. You'll go to a
1:16 shelter because you have nowhere to go.
1:24 Booth Manor Emergency Family Shelter - and
1:27 what it is seven apartment units and it
1:30 is for families who are currently
1:32 homeless are about to become homeless.
1:34 It's a place where we get to bring
1:36 families who are going through some
1:38 tough times, give them a little bit of
1:41 stability, a little bit of security, roof
1:43 over their head, maybe some food in their
1:44 belly, give them a little bit of time to
1:46 take a breath and put life back together.
1:49 The look of hope that comes across their
1:51 eyes; that that in itself is just off the
1:54 charts for me. And you know it's it's
1:56 giving them that little glimmer of hope
1:57 that everything's gonna be okay. While
1:59 they're in the shelter we provide
2:00 everything for them, so they don't have
2:02 to pay any utilities, they don't have to
2:04 pay for any of the food, we'll provide
2:05 that for them. From sundry items to
2:07 cleaning materials, they need nothing. We
2:10 will help their children by after-school
2:12 programs. We will do tutoring. We have
2:15 daycare for the children. Everything is
2:17 provided for them so they can - whatever
2:21 kind of income they have - they can use
2:24 towards moving on. They don't just push
2:26 you out in the street. [They] let you stay for a
2:27 little bit. They make sure you have
2:29 somewhere to go. We offer uh landlord
2:32 lists, rental assistance. We offer utility
2:36 assistance. We at booth are attempting to
2:40 reach the whole family - mom, dad, and kids.
2:43 There's not very many programs out there
2:46 to assist you know a single father and kids.
2:50 We keep families together. We don't, we 2:53 don't split them up. They don't put you
2:55 in like a shelter that you're with a
2:57 whole bunch of people you have like your
2:59 own individual place that gets their own
3:02 apartment. We have seven units we just
3:04 increased that but we have a waiting
3:06 list of over 20 families every month. I
3:09 think in the world that we live in today
3:11 too many of our donors feel that their
3:14 donations are just going into a black
3:16 hole and they're not really making a
3:18 difference, you know. Are they really
3:20 changing the world?
3:22 And I would say you are changing the
3:24 world. We were just all really happy you
3:28 know because we all I had a bed to sleep
3:32 in and we have blankets. They saved
3:37 my marriage and my family to be honest with
3:39 you. I have a smile. I didn't have that
3:42 smile four weeks ago. I'm telling you if
3:44 you walk around the neighborhood today,
3:45 we're starting to see some real changes,
3:47 not only in individuals’ lives but in the
3:51 shared hope that we have as a
3:53 neighborhood. There’s there’s still
3:56 genuine good people in the world. They
3:59 accept everyone. They work with you.
4:02 I just, I just love it. You're a blessing.
4:07 You're a blessing.
4:14 Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you
4:19 very much and please don't stop helping
4:21 people. Please don't stop