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Janesville homeless shelter increases services

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Paul Benish

JANESVILLE — An organizer of Janesville’s homeless shelter expects a significant increase in the number of men who will seek help this winter as the economy struggles to recover.

The circumstances of those who become homeless also are changing, and the group is expanding its services to meet the increasing needs.

“Our goal is to give them not just a handout but a hand up,” said Paul Benish, treasurer of GIFTS, or God Is Faithful Temporary Shelter.

GIFTS offers a rotating shelter for males in city churches.

An organizer of Janesville’s homeless shelter expects a significant increase in the number of men who will seek help this winter as the economy struggles to recover.

The circumstances of those who become homeless also are changing, and the group is expanding its services to meet the increasing needs.

“Our goal is to give them not just a handout but a hand up,” said Paul Benish, treasurer of GIFTS, or God Is Faithful Temporary Shelter.

GIFTS offers a rotating shelter for males in city churches.

This is the third year GIFTS will operate, and organizers are building on the success of past years by adding job-seeking help and other services, naming an executive director and holding a fundraiser, said Paul Benish, treasurer.

The first year, the shelter served 70 men. That increased to 100 last year.

This year, “We are looking for it to increase significantly, just because of the economy,” Benish said.

The number of churches involved has grown to 25 after beginning with four the first year.

Benish said volunteers noticed a change in the make-up of the homeless toward the end of last year.

“We began to see that those coming to the shelter fell into one of two groups,” Benish said.

One group includes the chronic homeless.

“These folks know the ropes and have learned what resources are available,” Benish said.

Benish described the others as newly homeless.

“These are guys who traditionally had jobs and provided their own living arrangements. Due to the downturn in the economy, they have suddenly found themselves out on the streets and really need some additional help in an unfamiliar situation,” he said.

“This year, we expect to see an increase in the numbers of newly homeless. When one is homeless for the first time, it can be really scary. Having a safe, loving place to land can be a tremendous blessing.”

The success of past years has allowed GIFTS to increase its services and make changes

“We’re a young organization, and we wanted to walk before we started running,” he said.

For the first time:

-- GIFTS will be fundraising. In the past, GIFTS didn’t ask for money but depended on unsolicited donations, Benish said. It still will not seek government funding.

-- The group will name an executive director—probably to begin as a volunteer position—with the goal of improving the operation’s efficiency.

The director will be the contact for the community, churches, the volunteers and those who need additional information.

-- An “A Team” will offer proactive and expanded services to the men.

“The ‘A’ stands for ‘action, advancement and assistance,’” Benish said. “We did that sort of thing by accident in the past.”

Before, volunteers who informally helped men fill out job applications and navigate the red tape of health care, for instance, started seeing successes. Last year, 34 men found jobs while at the shelter. Of those who found jobs, 24 saved enough money to get their own apartments.

Now, GIFTS will sponsor a coordinated effort. The A Team will be headed by Rejeana Deviana, who is a member of the GIFTS board of directors. She has a degree in social work from UW-Whitewater.

“Their mission will be to help the guys connect with existing community resources that can help improve their situation,” Benish said. “When a person is homeless, it is easy to go into ‘survival mode.’ Constantly wondering where to stay for the night and worried about where the next meal will come from, it becomes very difficult to break the cycle.

“Having a warm, safe, caring place and enough to eat, along with a place to shower and get clean clothes allows a man to focus on activities that can actually move him away from homelessness.”

GIFTS schedule

God Is Faithful Temporary Shelter will move between local churches from Oct. 4 to May 1. It will offer men a hot evening meal, cots and clean sheets, a place to shower and clean clothes if needed. Men also will be served breakfast. Doors open daily at 6 p.m. Organizers hold beds for men until 7 p.m. if they stayed the night before. Otherwise, cots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Paul Benish of GIFTS said the group tightened its policy on alcohol and has “virtually eliminated” any incidents they experienced the first year. The group last year instituted a zero-alcohol tolerance policy.

If the men choose to drink, they know they must find another place to stay, Benish said.

Last year, the shelter was open for 32 weeks. A hundred people stayed, with 29 staying for just one night and 71 staying more than one night. The average was 18 men per night.

Some of the homeless just passed through and used the shelter for one night, but more than 80 percent were born and raised in Janesville, Benish said.

More than 2,000 volunteers helped last year with check-in, meals, overnight chaperoning, spiritual development and other capacities, Benish said.

Below is this winter’s schedule:

-- Oct 4-10, at Roxbury Road Church of Christ, 2103 Roxbury Road, Janesville, with help from Footville Church of Christ.

-- Oct. 11-17, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 419 E. Court St., Janesville, with help from First Lutheran Church.

-- Oct. 18-24, at St. William Catholic Church, 1822 Ravine St., Janesville.

-- Oct. 25-31, at Grace Community International, 1509 S. Grant Ave., Janesville, with help from Faith Community Church and River Hills Community Church.

-- Nov. 1-7, at Asbury United Methodist Church, 1810 Kellogg Ave., Janesville, with help from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.

-- Nov. 8-14, at First Baptist Church, 3414 Woodhall Drive, Janesville, with help from Turning Point Church.

-- Nov. 15-21, at Mount Zion United Methodist Church 2130 Mount Zion Ave., Janesville, with help from Edgerton United Methodist Church.

-- Nov. 22-28, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 313 E. Wall St., Janesville.

-- Nov. 29-Dec. 4, at St. John Lutheran Church, 302 N. Parker Drive, Janesville.

-- Dec. 6-12, at First Presbyterian Church, 17 N. Jackson St., Janesville, with help from Milton Seventh Day Baptist Church and First Congregational Church UCC.

-- Dec. 13-19, at Mount Zion United Methodist Church, 2130 Mount Zion Ave., Janesville, with help from Edgerton United Methodist Church.

-- Dec. 20-26, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 1250 E. Racine St., Janesville.

-- Dec. 27-Jan. 2, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 1250 E. Racine St., Janesville.

-- Jan. 3-9, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 313 E. Wall St., Janesville.

-- Jan. 10-16, at Roxbury Road Church of Christ, 2103 Roxbury Road, Janesville, with help from Footville Church of Christ.

-- Jan. 17-23, at First Presbyterian Church, 17 N. Jackson St., Janesville, with help from Milton Seventh Day Baptist Church and First Congregational Church UCC.

-- Jan. 24-30, at Bethel Baptist Church, 3300 Mount Zion Ave., Janesville.

-- Jan. 31-Feb. 6, at Orchard View Alliance Church, 2707 Bond Place, Janesville, with help from Milton United Methodist Church.

-- Feb. 7-13, at St. John Lutheran Church, 302 N. Parker Drive, Janesville.

-- Feb. 14-20, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 419 E. Court St., Janesville, with help from First Lutheran Church.

-- Feb. 21-27, at First Baptist Church, 3414 Woodhall Drive, Janesville, with help from Turning Point Church.

-- Feb. 28-March 6, at Grace Community International, 1509 S. Grant Ave., Janesville, with help from Faith Community Church and River Hills Community Church.

-- March 7-13, at Asbury United Methodist Church, 1810 Kellogg Ave., Janesville, with help from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.

-- March 14-20, at Cargill United Methodist Church, 2000 Wesley Ave., Janesville.

-- March 21-27, at Bethel Baptist Church, 3300 Mount Zion Ave., Janesville.

-- March 28-April 3, at Emmanuel Free Methodist Church, 4224 Whilden Court, Janesville.

-- April 4-10, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 313 E. Wall St., Janesville.

-- April 11-17, at St. William Catholic Church, 1822 Ravine St., Janesville.

-- April 18-24, at Orchard View Alliance Church, 2707 Bond Place, Janesville, with help from Milton United Methodist Church.

-- April 25-May 1, at Cargill United Methodist Church, 2000 Wesley Ave., Janesville.