Homeless Shelter Struggles, Falls Short of Donation Goal

Residents, staff and board members of Brother's Keeper depend on each other for help. The small but hopeful group gathered for their annual walk-a-thon Saturday morning on the grounds of what was once Froebel High School on Gary's near west side, two blocks west of Broadway.

Senator Earline Rogers (D-IN) was in attendance as was Gary mayoral primary winner Karen Freeman Wilson.
"We know homelessness is a big problem in Gary and with the economy the way it is, I've heard statistics that say 30 percent of the people in Gary are on public assistance, some way or another," she said.

Ganell Richardson serves as the chairwoman of second annual walk-a-thon and is board secretary for Brother's Keeper.

"We are trying to raise money for the homeless. Our goal is $10,000," she said. Since they collect donations through the
year, the fact that they did not meet their fund raising goal Saturday is not a deterrent.

"Donations are still coming in from different corporations and what have you," she said.

The walk-a-thon is a fundraising event to close the budget gap the center faces every year. Operating costs for Brother's
Keeper are ball parked at over $100,000, according to board members. They have not in recent years, ever made budget.

"We have never generated those types of dollars. Many times we are in deficit funding. Sometimes our employees are waiting for their salaries," Representative Dr. Vernon G. Smith (D-IN), a board member, said. He said federal funding has dwindled and the spurt of money they do get is expected to last forever.

"People want to bring us old clothing and household appliances... but the clothing got to be a problem. We're not taking
clothing anymore," Smith said, however they still take food donations.

The 40-bed, around-the-clock facility is at capacity during the winter months--which are extended in the cold, Northwest
Indiana climate. A handful of clients stay at the center currently. They get three meals a day, job training, religious
services, GED proficiency services, access to the Internet. And they have duties at the shelter.

"They have to actively look for jobs and we help them with social issues. We provide their toiletries, food...we have a
staff," she said. To be comfortable, the budget for Brother's Keeper would be in the range of $200,000 yearly.
"The utilities alone are at $30,000 a month," Richardson said.

The reason that the Brother's Keeper operating budget is so big is because it is a 24-hour facility. Men who are released
from prison are homeless. Men who are going through domestic issues are homeless. Young men who are put out of their family home, have no place to go as well.

"No other facilities are open 24-hours. Most facilities open for the night and in the day shut down," Smith said.

"In the wintertime, where are these guys going to go? They'll buy one cup of coffee in McDonald's and sit there all day," Smith said.

The Indiana Department of Corrections is supposed to pay Brother's Keeper $16 a day per resident who leaves prison and lives at the shelter, Smith said but no money has every been issued from the DOC to Brother's Keeper--to Smith's recollection, he said. They don't turn ex-cons away, however.

Jeff Newland has been diabetic since the age of 13. A life of bad choices led to arrests and jail. He said when he was
released from prison, he had no where to go and was told to go to Brother's Keeper. Newland did not want to say what led to his arrests and convictions but he became ill with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which makes it hard to work as a chef or attend the culinary arts classes at Ivy Tech in which he enrolled. He sat for most of the festivities and leaned on a wooden cane for support when standing. He said he was grateful for Brother's Keeper because his illnesses create a hardship for him.

Newland's situation is not unique. When families are overwhelmed by members who are suffering from mental and emotional illnesses to the point where they cannot function in society, attend classes or keep a job, they end up in places like Brother's Keeper.

Levi Gildon has resided at Brother's Keeper for two years or so. He moved their when his boarding house shut down in the middle of winter. He and 10 other men settled into Brother's Keeper, gratefully.

"Most of the people have gone. They've ventured off here and there," he said.

He said a series of misfortunes and bad decision making prevented him from keeping his union job as a heavy equipment operator, mostly because he got behind in his union dues, which were about $600 a year in 1979. Until he pays those dues, he cannot work there, he said. He does odd jobs for pocket money and has bounced around from place to place since losing that job.

His parents have passed away but he has a brother who lives in Francesville and a sister in Ohio who keep in touch but at arms length. Gildon said he looks forward to social security and pension at age 62 but for now does not mind staying at Brother's Keeper because it is more than just a homeless facility. He said he appreciates the staff at Brother's Keeper because of the way they treat him with dignity and because he especially likes the religious services.