The month of May saw another uptick in homeless people seeking overnight safe sanctuary at The Salvation Army’s Center for Hope shelter, bringing the shelter to near capacity.
The shelter, located at 1384 Greene Street, can house between 115 to 120 individuals, and emergency cots are on hand for the times of urgent need such as severe heat waves or below freezing weather, according to the Director of Development, Derek Dugan.
However, the layout of the shelter and the fact that entire families need assistance limits the number of individual beds available.
“Let’s say we have room with six beds, and we have a family of four, a mom, dad and two kids; well, we have to keep the family together, so those other two beds become unavailable,” Dugan said.
On May 1, the shelter housed 80 individuals, but by mid-month that number shot up, peaking at 97.
Some of the new clients, Dugan says, were originally staying at Mercy Ministries, which was temporarily shut down by the fire marshal, and while the thrift store has opened back up, the non-profit does not have the proper permits to house people overnight.
However, Dugan says that most of the surge has to do with the success of the bus ticket program where individuals and businesses can hand a homeless person a card that provides a free bus ride to the Center of Hope, rather than giving them money.
“I would say the program has been a success so far, and we have other similar programs in the works so that people who are homeless can find out about us and the services we provide,” Dugan said.
While it may be difficult to accommodate the throngs of needy on a daily basis, The Salvation Army has been able to place people in the proper programs to help them get back on their feet and off the street.
In the first six months of this year, Dugan says The Salvation Army has helped 74 individuals complete the casework needed and found permanent housing for them, which is quite a feat considering the shortage of affordable housing in Augusta/Richmond County.
However, to maintain that success, The Salvation Army still needs the generosity of the public, officials say.
Dugan says that the non-profit organization has already spent its food budget for the entire year, as inflation and ever rising food costs, especially on meat, have decimated a budget that should have lasted all year.
Food isn’t the only shortage The Salvation Army is dealing with. Belts and shoes are scarce as well.
“Most people will wear their belts and shoes until they wear out and then they throw them away, so we are always asking for those items to be donated, especially kids shoes,” Dugan said.
To make a donation, simply visit The Salvation Army’s website.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
