Wanted: Volunteers

Whether it’s for a particular event or a weekly session, lend a helping hand to those who need it

By Adrienne Bommarito

Thursday, October 18th, 2007

John Carland graduated from The University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s degree in History. He served a year in Vietnam as a demolition specialist. He got married and bought a house in west Lawrence. He earned his stock broker’s license and founded a financial service business called Premier Capital Services.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Carland’s life turned upside-down.

Premier Capital Services went broke in 2000 and lost millions of dollars. Everyone in the company lost their job, including Carland.

To add to his stress and misfortune, Carland’s wife of 23 years divorced him.

Carland’s tribulation put him in a place no one wants to be; on the streets.

“I live at the Salvation Army and am looking for a job,” says Carland.

Last January, the social service agencies in Lawrence conducted a census and found that 373 people living in Lawrence are homeless; half of that number is families. Compared to the 82,263 people living in Lawrence, as reported by Money Magazine in 2006, the small number of 373 may seem diminutive, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a problem.

A general stereotype of the homeless is that they have lost everything because they are drug abusers.

“Drugs and alcohol are not the reason. It’s more of a coping method; not the cause,” says Hilary Bowker, Kansas City, Mo. senior and co-director for the Jubilee Café for the Center of Community Outreach, a campus organization that centralizes volunteer activities.

Bowker has volunteered at the Lawrence Community Shelter, 214 W. 10th St., for the past year. She listens and talks with the guests at the shelter.

She says that the general stereotype of the homeless is wrong, and that they all come from different backgrounds and have different history.

Some go through bad divorces and lose everything. Some have mental illnesses and can’t afford help and can’t find or keep jobs because of their illness. Some just have financial trouble that they have never been able to kick. Some do have drug and alcohol problems, but the majority, Bowker, says just have a case of bad luck.

Don Huggins, volunteer director at the Lawrence Community Shelter, says many of the homeless just need to know that someone cares. The shelter provides that feeling along with a place to hang out at during the day and mats for 31 people to sleep on during the night. Yes, some people get turned away.

“What volunteers do here is show some compassion and care,” Huggins says. “Just by being here that message gets carried out.”

Wes Dalberg, Corps Officer for the Salvation Army, says it has the capacity to house 60 every night, but about 40 to 50 individuals show up. Twenty-four bunkbeds rest in an old gymnasium attached to the Salvation Army.

Unlike the Lawrence Community Shelter, the Salvation Army gives breathalyzer tests to individuals wanting to spend the night. The rule operates like the driving rule: those that blow 0.08 and above are not admitted. The Lawrence Community Shelter does not turn away people based on alcohol levels.

Not only does the Lawrence Community Shelter provide nighttime housing but it also helps individuals find jobs. Four programs were created to assist in the job hunt:

Back to Work is a program that connects individuals with a job coach to find and keep a job.

Tour the Work Force pairs volunteers with individuals who accompany them to the Lawrence Workforce Center, 2540 Iowa St., and walk them through the steps of finding a job.

Good Dog Gourmet Biscuits and Treats demonstrates all parts of a business. Individuals make and package gourmet dog treats, then sell them at the Farmer’s Market, as well as to pet stores and veterinarians in Lawrence.

Casual Day Labor which allows people needing assistance with moving furniture or doing yard work to hire an individual for the day.

The Lawrence Community Shelter provides dinner at 8:30 p.m. for the 31 individuals chosen to sleep there. It also supplies breakfast—coffee and cereal—every morning, except Tuesdays and Fridays because on those mornings the Jubilee Café, offers breakfast.

The Center for Community Outreach puts on the Jubilee Cafe which is held in the basement of the First United Methodist Church, 946 Vermont, from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Around 100 individuals show up for breakfast at the Jubilee Café. The cost to host the breakfast each morning averages $150. The church budgets $500 every month and the Center for Community Outreach makes up the difference by donations and fundraisers.

The Salvation Army offers a community lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., along with dinner at 8 p.m. for the night guests.

Volunteers are needed for the Jubilee Café, the Lawrence Community Shelter and the Salvation Army.

If you are apprehensive about helping out at the shelters, volunteer to make dinner for the Lawrence Community Shelter. Dinners are made by volunteers at an off site location and can be something as simple as spaghetti or sandwiches. Contact the Lawrence Community Shelter at 785-832-8864 for more information.

Contact the Center for Community Outreach in room 405 in the Kansas Union or visit their website, www.ku.edu/~cco ,for more information on ways to volunteer.

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