Posted 1:29 pm Friday, August 31, 2012
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A new hope; open house unveils homeless resource center
By Rebecca Hoeffner
rhoeffner@tylerpaper.com
At an open house event for the new homeless resource center in Tyler, donors and clients alike emphasized the way that “everything came together.”
rhoeffner@tylerpaper.com
At an open house event for the new homeless resource center in Tyler, donors and clients alike emphasized the way that “everything came together.”
“It's been amazing,” said Pat Mallory, Gateway to Hope's executive director. “For three years we've worked on this in our hearts. In God's timing, He put it together.”
Bobby Curtis was the head of the renovation on the building, donated by the city. The renovations alone should have cost more than $100,000, he said, but thanks to donations, the construction was completed for half of that, with those cost, covered by monetary donations.
“This was done with a lot of love from the people who wrote checks and donated services,” he said. “It's something that's really needed. We're trying to give a little dignity and a hand up to people on hard times.”
The facility offers P.O. boxes (many employers require a mailing address), a place to get a photo ID made, lockers, a message center, computer access, a barber shop, showers, washers and dryers to do laundry and a place to network with representatives from other nonprofit agencies and employment agencies.
“It's a needed commodity,” said Elise Cowan, who works as a hairstylist and secured a salon chair and other tools for the barbershop, in addition to getting other hairstylists in the community to donate their time to the nonprofit. “Everything offered here will be a big help to the homeless.”
Many of Ms. Mallory's homeless friends volunteered their time to see the project completed, she said.
“People have come out of nowhere to help,” she said. “I'm thrilled with the turnout tonight.”
The facility will open for business at 601 E. Valentine St., at 8 a.m. Monday morning, even though it's a federal holiday, Ms. Mallory said.
“What better day to start than Labor Day?” she said with a laugh.
Updated Friday, August 31, 2012 at 1:26 p.m. CDT
“This was done with a lot of love from the people who wrote checks and donated services,” he said. “It's something that's really needed. We're trying to give a little dignity and a hand up to people on hard times.”
The facility offers P.O. boxes (many employers require a mailing address), a place to get a photo ID made, lockers, a message center, computer access, a barber shop, showers, washers and dryers to do laundry and a place to network with representatives from other nonprofit agencies and employment agencies.
“It's a needed commodity,” said Elise Cowan, who works as a hairstylist and secured a salon chair and other tools for the barbershop, in addition to getting other hairstylists in the community to donate their time to the nonprofit. “Everything offered here will be a big help to the homeless.”
Many of Ms. Mallory's homeless friends volunteered their time to see the project completed, she said.
“People have come out of nowhere to help,” she said. “I'm thrilled with the turnout tonight.”
The facility will open for business at 601 E. Valentine St., at 8 a.m. Monday morning, even though it's a federal holiday, Ms. Mallory said.
“What better day to start than Labor Day?” she said with a laugh.
Updated Friday, August 31, 2012 at 1:26 p.m. CDT
