You May Need The Athens Area Homeless Shelter One Day

So there you are, working your job, taking care of your kids, going paycheck to paycheck, paying your bills, keeping it together.

Then you get sick, or your husband or boyfriend leaves or loses his job, or you lose your job. And you learn what many Americans don’t want to think about: you have no safety net.

You leave your apartment because you can’t pay the rent.

You lose your car because you can’t afford the insurance.

You have to determine which one of your children eats what meal, and how long the toddler can go without a diaper change.

But somehow, you land in the , an agency which has for 25 years been helping people get back on their feet. To get into their own houses or apartments. To get a job, to find decent childcare, to return to a life they might have lived before circumstances beyond their control interrupted it.

The Shelter does more than just provide a safe place for six families to stay. It helps them transition to a better situation.

Guests learn how to navigate services, such as job training, job referrals and counseling for mental health problems and addictions. They receive eye exams---“How can you fill out a job application if you can’t see?” asks director Meredith Williams.—and physical exams.

All of these things, from the diapers for the children of guests to the bus passes that allow women to go to work---come with a cost. And right now, the Homeless Shelter desperately needs money. The non-profit has seen a 50 percent drop in individual donations this year, said Williams.

The drop comes even as energy bills are likely to top $1,000 during the hot summer months. And food bills increase because volunteering families—who often cook supper for guests during the academic year—are out of town. And because school isn’t in session, the cost of childcare rises dramatically.

The organization receives about 60 to 65 percent of its budget from federal and state grants. But that’s not enough for it to keep functioning.

“We’re counting on the community to come forward and help out,” she said. Of the women who were helped in the last program year, 85 percent of them were housed and employed at their six-month check-in.

A donation doesn’t have to be massive to make a difference, though the Shelter’s board wouldn’t turn their noses up at such a gift. A monthly check for $10 to $50 would help pay the $250 monthly bill for phone and Internet service, the monthly $200 for diapers and cleaning supplies, the plumbing bills to keep the two washing machines running well.

“We’re a great investment,” Williams said. “We remove barriers for these hard-working women.”

People can give by mailing their tax-deductible donation to 620 Barber Street, Athens, GA 30601 or by donating online.