Anticipating high demand, state fire marshal approves higher occupancy cap for city homeless shelter

By RUSS OLIVO

WOONSOCKET — The state fire marshal has granted permission to the city’s only overnight shelter for homeless men to increase its occupancy limit by 25 percent.

Pastor Gene Giguere of Harvest Community Church said the congregation will reopen its seasonal shelter operation Nov. 1 with a new occupancy cap of 50.
Anticipating a surge in demand due to the poor economy, Harvest recently appealed to the state fire marshal to relax its longtime occupancy limit of 40. With support from the Woonsocket Fire Department, Harvest’s petition was granted about a week ago, the pastor said.
“Because of all the foreclosures and the economic situation, we’re anticipating higher numbers than we’ve ever had,” Giguere said. “I really felt we dodged a bullet last year. We never exceeded our number but I’m quite confident we’re going to exceed 40 this year.”
The Sanctuary Ministry is the only facility in the city where single, homeless men can seek refuge from the elements on a cold winter night. The city’s leading human services agency, Family Resources Community Action, operates the Sayles Street Shelter for single women and families with children.
The Sanctuary Ministry isn’t a round-the- clock shelter for the homeless, but it does provide homeless men with a warm place to sleep and a hot meal, said Giguere.
Those seeking refuge at the church sleep on floor mats on the second level of the church, a onetime furniture showroom at 60 North Main St. There is no kitchen in the church, but meals are prepared elsewhere by church volunteers and brought in. Guests must report to the church by 8:30 p.m. and leave the following morning by 9 a.m.
But the overnight residents may store their belongings at the church so they don’t have to lug them around during the day, Giguere said.
The pastor said about half those who seek refuge at the shelter have jobs. They just can’t afford a place to live.
“It’s that new demographic social workers call the working poor,” he said. “They can afford a cell phone. They can afford a car. But they can’t afford an apartment.”
Although the occupancy cap is now 50, Giguere says that in practice the most the Sanctuary Ministry will be able to squeeze in will be 48 men per night. That’s because the operation has to set aside room for one security guard and one church member. Giguere and Sanctuary Ministry Director Douglas LaChance will be among the regular guests.
The church has already received “a record number” of inquiries from hospitals and other facilities regarding the availability of shelter space — yet another indication that demand for services will be exceptionally high this winter, the pastor said.
Established seven years ago, Harvest Community Church has provided a total of 16,429 bed nights for the homeless, according to Giguere. The church pays for the operation with donations that come from church members. With demand sure to be up this season, along with utility costs, Giguere says he is openly soliciting donations from wherever he can get them. Anyone who wants to help can drop off a check at the church, payable to the Sanctuary Ministry.
“We consider it a privilege to be working with the city and do everything we can to make out city better,” said Giguere. “We just don’t want to talk about Jesus. We believe this is the kind of thing Jesus would be doing.”