April 12, 2008
Release Date: February 18, 2008
The
Malone College Pioneer football team is collaborating with the YWCA Emergency
Shelter program, Christian radio station 95.9-FM “The Light” (WNPQ), and area
moving companies in an all out effort to help greater Canton area individuals
transition out of emergency housing. Collection
day is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Anyone wishing to make a donation must live
in the greater Canton area and schedule in advance for a home pick-up time by
calling the Canton YWCA at 330-453-7644. Members of the football team will provide the
“muscle,” volunteering their time to carry, load, and unload larger items. Moving companies donating vans and drivers
include Abbott Moving and Storage,
Buckeye/Richards Moving, Locker Moving and Storage, and Two Men and a Truck. Local radio station WNPQ, 95.9-fm “The
Light” is offering free advertising time and numerous appeals to listeners,
encouraging donations. Items will be
taken to the YWCA’s warehouse and later distributed to persons as they
transition from the emergency shelter to more permanent housing.
There
is an ongoing need for furniture including dressers, beds, headboards, chairs,
couches, dinettes and tables, as well as household items. No large appliances please. The YWCA emergency shelter provides a
place to stay for homeless persons and families for a 60-90 day period. During this time, social workers work with
individuals and families to assess problem areas and needs, then develop case
plans to address these needs. The YWCA
has housed women since 1909. In 1986, grant funds were secured to house single
women and women with children (boys aged 6 and under) who were in homeless
situations. The Ralston-Farrell Family
Shelter, opened in 1989, houses families with older males (children or adult). ). The
YWCA has seen a need for housing assistance grow from serving 189 individuals
in 1986 to 450 individuals last year, 38% of whom were children for 21,392
nights of service.
The New Beginnings program, transitional housing, provides housing for
eligible families for a 2-3 year period with long term support services to
assist motivated families move out of poverty.
Gateway Estates, the YWCA’s newest housing project, offers permanent
housing for the chronically hard-to-house in 36 low income SROs (single room occupancies).
Persons wishing to
donate new or used furniture, or to make a monetary donation, please call Judy Miller
at 330-453-7644, extension 122.
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