Danville shelter gearing up to open downtown

People were working on wiring and exit signs and installing fire extinguishers at the new House of Hope shelter location of Ridge Street on Wednesday. They were surrounded by piles of donated food, appliances, a big screen television — and Steve Anderson, the shelter’s director, who was grinning from ear to ear as he explains what is going to go where.

“This is almost like it was made for a shelter,” Anderson said, his enthusiasm about the new space evident. “This place is a great blessing; I’ll never stop being excited about it.”

The shelter’s new quarters are big enough for a comfortable lounge area, kitchen, bathrooms for men and women, and several sleeping quarters.

One bedroom has four bunk beds — “We need more chests of drawers,” Anderson noted — and is designated for single men.

Another room has two sets of bunk beds that can be used if a family is staying at the shelter.

“It will make them feel more like a family if they are together,” Anderson said.

Two more small rooms each has one bunk bed, which Anderson said will be perfect if a mother and child, or husband and wife, are staying at the shelter.

But the beauty of the layout, Anderson said, is its flexibility — depending on the people staying on any given night, the rooms can be assigned to meet a variety of needs.

He also admits that on many nights the beds will all be used by men, the shelter’s most frequent guests.

Anderson said the downtown location is perfect for the people who take advantage of the House of Hope.

“The Free Clinic is across the street, the library is a block away, the police station is two blocks away and all the other agencies the people need are right in this area,” Anderson said.

The shelter will get food during the week through an agreement with Danville Regional Medical Center, Anderson said. They will pick up what’s left from the evening meal each night, bring it back to the shelter and “chow down.” On the weekends, various churches bring them meals.

“We eat good here,” Anderson said with the smile.

House of Hope’s previous location on Claiborne Street was a problem for some guests, especially the elderly, he said.

“They had to walk a mile, cross a bridge, in the cold just to get somewhere to stay warm, because we send everyone out during the day,” Anderson said. “They have to be out looking for work everyday, or looking for programs to move their lives forward.”

Anderson said he does not believe the House of Hope will cause any problems for its neighbors.

“We’re a part of the solution, not part of the problem,” he said. “Homelessness is a fact of the world; it’s everywhere. The people here, they know they have to follow the rules or they can’t live here.”

Two new rules are being instituted at the Ridge Street location: No panhandling and stay off Galileo Magnet High School property.

Anderson said if he learns about anyone breaking those rules, that person will be banned from House of Hope.

He said he understands some of his neighbors’ fears, but hopes House of Hope will not be blamed for all of downtown problems.

“We were here last Sunday bringing stuff in, and a guy came up and asked for money,” Anderson said. “That had nothing to do with House of Hope.”

No one who is wanted by the police can stay there, and the Danville Police Department checks out every guest, Anderson said. He also checks to make sure guests are not on any sexual offender lists.

Anderson said his guests have all been going through hard times, and told of one man who came out of the hospital to discover he had been evicted and his checks had been returned to the Veterans Administration. Anderson helped him set up a bank account so the checks could be automatically deposited in the future, and gave him shelter while he found a new home.

“We’re all just a check or two away from being homeless,” Anderson said. “These folks are just out of their house, couldn’t pay their power bill or got kicked out.”

While the shelter holds up to 16 people, Anderson says he has had more than 50 different guests since the middle of January when House of Hope opened.

“This place is not for drug addicts, it’s not for alcoholics — though I’ll be glad to get help for them,” Anderson said. “This is for people that are down on their luck and want to get their lives straightened out.”

There has been opposition to the shelter’s new location, and there is a forum tonight at 7 p.m. at Galileo Magnet High School to address any issues or fears people have.

“We’re going to make good neighbors for the community. If they’ll just give us a year, they’ll know for sure,” Anderson said.

“All this bickering — there’s no need for it. Give us a chance.”