1.0The Sourcehttps://the-source.netrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="bC5T8efMqE"><a href="https://the-source.net/homeless-shelter-open-in-jacksonville/">Homeless shelter open in Jacksonville</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://the-source.net/homeless-shelter-open-in-jacksonville/embed/#?secret=bC5T8efMqE" width="600" height="338" title="“Homeless shelter open in Jacksonville” — The Source" data-secret="bC5T8efMqE" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=0;o<n.length;o++)n[o].style.display="none";for(o=0;o<i.length;o++)if(r=i[o],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=l.createElement("a"),a=l.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,a.host===s.host)if(l.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> http://the-source.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/LOGO-New-Directions-Heating-and-Cooling-Center-LOGO.jpg504420New Directions is located at Grace United Methodist Church by Lynn ColburnPhotos/Lynn Colburn New Directions Warming & Cooling Center for the Homeless is located within Grace United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, with its own entrance at 1000 S. Fayette St. New Directions gives guests a place to stay for evenings, shower, get food, do laundry and sleep. The shelter, unlike other shelters in the state, tries to keep families together in the same facility by accommodating both men and woman in separate areas within its walls. Anything its guests need is covered — such as food, snacks and things for hygiene — which, according to Sarah Robinson, director of New Directions, “allows them to just take that deep breath and focus on something else, rather than those day-to-day worries.” The age of children that are in New Directions with their families can vary from infants to young children to teenagers. The children who come to live in the shelter are allowed to remain in their current school, allowing them to have as little disruption to their routines and school environments as possible. Robinson says, “We tell all guests when they come in that they can stay up to 60 days, as long as they are working toward gaining independence. What we have found, since we set that time frame in place, is that a median marker of 45 days is a pretty good marker for when people move out. Sometimes we have to extend beyond the 60 days, like if you have been approved for housing and there just isn’t a unit yet, then that would be something that would be extendable. Or for someone who took a while to get the IDs and has just started working who needs a little more time to get everything in place before they can leave. “Prior to implementing that 60-day goal, people stayed a lot longer,” Robinson elaborates, “but we have found that since then it is really doable as a time limit that fits in this specific area. It is enough time that they can relax and get comfortable, but not so comfortable that they stop making forward progress.” The shelter reopened July 1, 2021, and statistics through Dec. 6 show it supplied 666 nights of shelter, which doesn’t include the nights during last part of December. That is about the same amount supplied in 2020 from Jan. 1 through March 17, 2020, when COVID-19 shut down the church and thus the shelter. In comparison for the 12-month year in 2019, New Directions supplied 3,018 nights of shelter in the community. Robinson explains who is eligible for the shelter and how they are funded, saying, “We don’t restrict anyone for where they are from. We also do not receive any state or federal funding. We’re just donation driven. We receive money from Prairieland United Way and some business sponsors, such Blue Cross Blue Shield which is a large contributor.” Other contributors include church groups and individuals. “But since our shut down,” continues Robinson, “all our contributors have not returned, and many people don’t even know we are open again. We are always in need of money, checks, supplies and non-perishable goods that are shelf-stable.” The shelter works with a schedule, explains Robinson. She spells out the schedule by saying, “Once guests are at New Directions, they have to come back every night at 6 p.m., unless I know they are working or something. Procedurally, we have had to change a lot of things to reduce common touch areas. Now staff has to take temperatures when they come in and ask all the COVID questions then chart it on their log. Staff signs each in and out so everyone isn’t touching the same pen and sheet. If anyone wants something out of the refrigerator, like milk or whatever, they have to ask a staff member right now to keep everyone from touching the same surface also. And we are constantly wiping down tables and other things down with Clorox wipes and spray. We use cases of hand sanitizer from the YMCA that was brought there, and they share with United Way agencies. We also received 4,000 paper masks through the Prairieland United Way. And we go through a lot of paper towels and always appreciate donations of those.” Robinson continues, “In the past, individuals, churches or businesses used to bring buffet-style meals in and serve them to our guests and then stay to interact with us. But we just can’t right now unfortunately! We miss that interaction with the community but need to follow the CDC guidelines.” New Directions does require all of its staff and volunteers be vaccinated, although the guests don’t have to be and currently most are not. However, guests and staff are all still wearing masks regardless of vaccine status. “The food is one of the biggest changes. We are picking up our meals up from Pastor Pulley at Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen,” notes Robinson. “I call her in the afternoon and then I’ll run over and pick up the meals each evening and that way everyone has individually packaged meals.” Also, because of COVID regulations, New Directions is at 50% capacity. “So, I have five beds in the men’s room and five beds in the women’s room,” explains Robinson. Prior to the pandemic, they had 10 and 10. Robinson says their hours are shortened at the shelter, “We used to be open on Sundays all day pre-COVID, but we lost donations when we weren’t open, so it is a financial issue right now because I would have to have a staff person here. We will and do stay open on extreme weather days if we can — both extreme heat and cold — and I’m really hopeful we will be open regularly on Sundays again soon. Sundays are a hard day for our guests because they don’t have their regular places they can go. They don’t have job interviews or appointments on Sundays and the...