Replacement found for Shelters Inc.

Last June, homeless people who lived at Shelters Inc. weren't the only ones hitting hard times as the shelter closed down. However, The Community Kitchen of Monroe County gave the shelter a helping hand as it temporarily housed it's neighbors residents.\nAs a result of the shutdown, the Emergency Housing Work Group was formed to find an organization to take over and permanently operate the building after The Community Kitchen's tenure. The group found a replacement to fill the shelter's void.\nMartha's House is a homeless shelter within the Perry Township territory which begins south of Third Street. Julio Alanso, current director of public works for Bloomington and former Community Kitchen executive director and Emergency Housing Group Member, said Perry Township gave the Community Kitchen a six-month extension to keep the shelter open while the new sponsor was found. \nThe Emergency Housing Work Group disbanded in late September and Martha's House officially took over Jan. 1.\nPerry Township chartered Martha's House about two years ago in order to support Bloomington's homeless. But, the building has been dormant since the handover in September. Perry Township currently owns the building and appointed the committee for Martha's House, which is responsible for operating the shelter.\nDespite the change in power, Salvation Army and Martha's House Board of Directors member Steven Koehler, said the building will be used as an emergency shelter meant to keep people out of the cold and off of the streets after the loss of their home.\nMartha's House has also acquired two other family shelters, but doesn't intend to get any transitional housing to help people find a permanent home, unlike Shelters Inc.\nJody Tobias, the executive director of Martha's House, said all other properties owned by Shelter's Inc. were obtained by other organizations. \nMartha's House plans on opening the two other family shelters by next spring, but are looking for funding to carry out the plan. In total, the two shelters will hold up to three families while the current building houses 22 male and six females.\nMartha's House rules state that the occupants have to be legal adults, free of alcohol and illegal drugs and free of outstanding warrants. Owen and Monroe County resdients are eligible for a 30-day stay after an interview is conducted and can stay at the facility from 4:15 p.m. to 7:45 a.m.\nTeenagers as young as 16 may be garnered "emancipated adults" and may be taken in, but there are other places in town specializing in caring for teenagers.\nMartha's House needs to resolve some financial issues with Perry Township before it can carry out its expansion.\n"We have paid about 90 percent of the costs for both the Community Kitchen and Martha's House running the shelter," said Perry Township Trustee Dan Combs. "But Martha's House is expected to take over the majority of the expenses soon. Our grant streams for them run out on July 1." \nSome grants are lined up to get through the first half of 2006, but more money is needed to keep Martha's House afloat.\n"Grants are crazy," Tobias said. "They have tricky timing. Fundraising is key; it's what we need to concentrate on most now,"\nThe young organization presently has no Web site but plans on having an online auction soon. They have recieved help from INPIRG's Hunger and Homeless campaign, which raised $372.45.\n-- Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu.