Needy families find a home in Shrewsbury
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

Congregational Church parishioner David McRae stands by one of the few remaining beds for homeless guests for the church. Like most weeks the church offers housing, all of the available bedrooms in the church are full. PHOTO/MELISSA MUNTZ

Shrewsbury - When thinking of the homeless, it's easy for people to imagine that the problem doesn't go beyond the man on the street corner with his hand out, First Congregational Church parishioner David McRae said. But they'd be wrong.

"Good people lose their jobs or develop medical conditions and suddenly can't pay their rent and an entire family is out on the street," he said.

To help assist these families in need, the Congregational Church teamed up with Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), which places people in churches in the Worcester area for one to two weeks at a time as they save up for permanent housing.

"Everyone we see here is part of a family that has fallen on hard times for one reason or another that are out of their control," he said. "Some families have been in as many as 20 churches, if not more, over the past several months."

The church opens its doors to needy families for two weeks in January and two weeks in September, transforming its Sunday School classrooms into makeshift bedrooms, and the youth group recreation room into a shared living room.

"For some people, their options are very limited and this allows them a temporary respite as they get back on their feet," he said.

Many guests of the church do, in fact, have jobs. They are picked up ay IHN vehicles and driven to their workplaces, their children transported to their schools.

Even with a job, finding affordable housing and coming up with first and last month's rent as well as a security deposit is just too daunting a task for many working families that are struggling to survive living paycheck to paycheck.

"These are just good people who have fallen on hard times and if they can just get a roof over their head and three meals a day, it gives them the chance to save up and move on," he said.

Aside from a safe place to stay, the church provides meals, diapers, toiletries, groceries and an ear for people who need someone to talk to. Parishioners volunteer to serve as overnight hosts, dispensing necessary medication to guests and maintaining a safe, calm environment.

The Congregational Church has been a member of IHN for several years, and McRae said he has seen many families at the church more than once, but never seen one more than twice.

"You develop a relationship with these people, and it's so thrilling when they finally find permanent housing," he said. "We're just trying to be that bridge for people. It might take a few weeks' housing or it might take a few months', but they'll find it."

Close to 100 volunteers are needed to set up the twoweek stay, and community groups like the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and various neighboring church groups volunteer their time to make meals for the guests.

The church is currently weighing a request to take in families for a third two-week session this year, over the Thanksgiving holiday.

It costs several hundred dollars to house families for the two-week sessions, and donations to the church for the IHN program are greatly appreciated.

The church accepts donations of food, toiletries, and diapers as well as financial donations that can be specifi- cally earmarked for the IHN program. Anyone who would like to make a donation can contact the church for more information.