Latest news with #Crays
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Our Neighbor's Place officials reflect of first year in central location
The 13th season of EUMA's Our Neighbor's Place seasonal overflow shelter is wrapping up. The chief executive officer of EUMA said the season has gone beyond his expectations. Erie Habitat for Humanity, Erie Insurance partner up to build two new homes Tuesday night was the last night of the seasonal overflow shelter with the doors closing Wednesday morning at 6:45 a.m. The cold months in Erie are coming to an end and EUMA's Our Neighbor's Place seasonal overflow shelter is preparing to close their doors on the 13th season. 'We welcomed over 315 unique individuals. These are people who would not have had any other place to go this shelter of last resort, we've accumulated over 6,000 bed nights,' said Kurt Crays, chief executive officer of EUMA. Crays said the season has far exceeded his expectations with help from the fourteen coordinating churches in the area and hundreds of volunteers. One of those churches is First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. Ice cream shops open for the season around Erie 'Each congregation handles it slightly differently but there's a collection of basic needs that folks have undergarments, some clean undergarments, sweat clothes in case some people come with clothing that's soiled,' said Seph Kumer, director of community engagement for First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. Kumer said the role they play goes hand in hand with their walk of faith. 'Definitely serving the community but what we learn is that we really are the ones that grow and learn through serving. It brings our faith to life it helps us understand what we've been asked to do in this life,' he said. Crays said the shelter plays a crucial role in providing temporary housing for those in need, especially during the bitter winter. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'It's not hyperbole to communicate that this winter shelter literally is providing a safe for people to get out of the cold I believe that there would be individuals who would've been lost to us had our neighbor's place not been available to them,' Crays said. Although the shelter is closing, resources are still being provided to those in need. 'Again housing, permanent housing, affordable housing, supportive housing is the goal so working with individuals to move them on to permanent housing is the goal and I'm happy to report over a dozen individuals who are a part of Our Neighbor's Place are permanently housed tonight,' Crays went on to say. Trans Day of Visibility celebration held in Perry Square Kumer also recalled how each night each church provides 50 meals for guests of the shelter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Local shelters provide warmth as homeless population battles bitter cold temps.
Winter weather has been harsh, especially due to wind chill. Temperatures have consistently been near or below zero degrees. While most people have a warm place to work or a home to return to at night, hundreds of people in Erie don't, and they spend hours out in the elements just trying to survive. Crawford Co. residents impacted by stolen SNAP benefits 'We walk in their shoes from our house to our cars. We stay in a certain level of warmth. When it's something that's not a temporary thing but rather an absolute need that they have no other options, that's where we step in and open our doors,' said Chuck Nelson, board chairman of the Upper Room of Erie. The Upper Room of Erie is open from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and has sheltered dozens of people each day from the bitter cold. It's staffed by people who have experienced homelessness themselves. 'There's no barriers to entry. This is something where they just come in for the heat. There's not a diagnosis of a diagnosis, drug use, or anything like that. They come in for just heat,' said Nelson. EUMA's Our Neighbor's Place seasonal overflow shelter has housed 246 different people throughout the winter — many of those being returning guests night after night. 'Two nights ago we were at 58, the average is around 47 a night,' said Kurt Crays, executive director of the EUMA. 'Even with a sleeping bag, folks are at a great risk of not being able to survive the night unless they had a place like EUMA's Our Neighbor's Place.' While the impact of having a warm place to lay your head for the night can't be overstated, the long-term goal remains to be a pathway to permanent housing. Crays said in his ten years of service, he's never seen the trend in local homelessness shift like this. PennDOT reminds motorists to clear ice, snow off cars to avoid unnecessary dangers 'The individuals who are coming to our neighbor's place are increasingly between the ages of 18-24,' said Crays. 'Our oldest resident here is 72. There are individuals who can barely walk, are using assistive devices, and that is concerning for me. I just want to let folks know that that is what our community is experiencing right now.' Crays said their work isn't possible without volunteers from across the region as well as a network of 14 churches to coordinate care each night. With temperatures being as low as they have been, there's a serious need for donations of things like hand warmers, sweatpants, and other thermal clothing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
