By Jasz Garrett
Sitka, Alaska (KINY) – This winter, the Sitka Homeless Coalition worked alongside the United Methodist Church to open a cold weather emergency shelter, also known as the warming shelter. It’s the first time in over 25 years that Sitka has had a consistent warming shelter.
Over the last 25 years, several organizations, including the Sitka Homeless Coalition in its 2017 inception, attempted to establish a shelter. There was a challenge in finding the right location.
Executive Director Andrew Hinton shared what the process was like to open the shelter on Jan. 9.
“This is really a possibility because we’ve seen such a recognition of the fact that this is so important in our community. A lot of community partners have come together to make this possible. We’ve had such a tremendous amount of volunteer support. Since we’ve opened, we’ve seen so many folks that have come by and donated clothing,” he said. “When we first spoke to the Methodist Church about the possibility of opening up this space to be available to those that are in need, it was pretty clear right away they recognized the need and how important this was.”
He said it was possible through community support and volunteers and called it a testament to the will of the Sitka Homeless Coalition and the United Methodist Church. The City of Sitka ensured the shelter was compliant with city codes.
Programs Director Denise Shaffer discussed the Sitka Homeless Coalition’s services that are often used by the shelter’s clients.
“The dinner program has been super successful. We started that this past November 1st. And since then we’ve served over 1,000 meals to over 130 unique individuals. And that has been a wonderful, wonderful program. I think it’s been such a resource to people experiencing food insecurity and housing insecurity in our community,” she said. “We’re really, really excited about that program and what it’s been able to provide for Sitka and for those in need in Sitka. Our showers and laundry program has been going since 2021. That program has this past year served over 600 loads of laundry and over 200 showers.”
The emergency shelter has mainly been serving males who are Alaska Native or white between the ages of 30 and 60. The shelter also serves women. A total of 13 unique individuals have used the shelter over the 17 nights it was open for January. 3 of the 13 were women between 30 and 60 years old.
The average per night is 6 people. The shelter has never exceeded 8 people per night.
The Sitka Homeless Coalition also participated in the Point in Time count on Jan. 30. The official results for 2024 haven’t been confirmed yet, but last year, Sitka recorded 12 people.
The shelter is low barrier, which means that people who are intoxicated can come in. However, there are policies in place restricting alcohol, drugs, or weapons from being brought inside. Staff and volunteers are trained in de-escalation, Shaffer said.
“I think this has been something that the community has wanted for a long time. And the timing was right with added capacity for the Sitka Homeless Coalition. We have two full-time staff and we’re able to develop very important things that make an emergency shelter a success, which is having a solid group of staff,” she said. “Andrew, myself, and then we’ve hired three shelter monitors and also solid groups of volunteers.”
Hinton said that they haven’t had to de-escalate situations yet.
“I think everyone is genuinely appreciative of what we’re trying to do here,” he said.
Shaffer added that while the mission is for a warm place to sleep, they also want to create a welcoming environment. She said they have fun sipping hot cocoa and watching movies together.
“We seek to provide warm, safe shelter. That is the mission of the Sitka Homeless Coalition. This program really epitomizes that mission,” Shaffer said. “Safety is not just in having a place that you can rest your head that is warm and dry. It’s having a place where you feel comfortable, where you feel like you can be yourself and so that is part of what we’re trying to create here.”
In instances of extreme weather, the shelter extends the days they are open but keeps their hours the same. Shaffer said it’s important for them to have the same hours because consistency is important when it comes to trauma-informed care. Their hours are 8:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. and the shelter is at 303 Kimsham St. Shaffer added that transportation hasn’t been an issue due to the snow or other factors as the shelter is in a residential area.
The shelter needs coffee, preferably instant coffee. They also need sweatpants or pajama pants and socks. Donations can be arranged through Sitka Homeless Coalition’s website or social media. They accept drop-offs at the shelter after 8:30 p.m. or at the coalition’s offices.
Hinton said they are growing as an organization in various ways thanks to their partners. The Sitka Tribe of Alaska’s (STA) social services provided support with programs and the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) provided in-kind office space. Before that, Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL) provided in-kind office space and worked closely with volunteer services.
Shaffer and Hinton both said their future goals for the Stika Homeless Coalition would include strengthening their relationships with community partners and providing housing to the vulnerable population they serve.
“One of the big projects we’re working on is a permanent supportive housing project where we’re developing homes that are specifically for those that are experiencing chronic homelessness in our community. So, those that have had a difficult if not impossible time securing housing will have an avenue that’s on track to be finished by the end of this year,” Hinton said. “But in addition to that, I mean, we want to continue to work with our partners. There are such a litany of services available and set up and I think that greater coordination connectivity to these services is really important to ensuring that we can help folks and meet them where they’re at and provide exactly the services that they need.”
