Lawrence taking care of the homeless

Lawrence taking care of the homeless

By Dalia Díaz

This past weekend we were hit with temperatures below ten degrees, especially at night and there were warnings all over social media advising the homeless population of the places to go get refuge.

That was a plan initiated by Brian DePeña right after becoming mayor of the City of Lawrence, and later working with William Castro, his chief of staff, they established a close relationship with Lazarus House and created a system that was put to the test this weekend doing an amazing job making sure that no one was left in the cold.

The Winter Protocol from the City of Lawrence has been activated through Lazarus House located at 412 Hampshire St., from Friday 19, until Saturday 20, and Sunday 21 from 8 PM to 8 AM. Besides a warm place to sleep, they were given a hearty meal and the opportunity to take a hot shower.

“The help we received from the Embassy of United Chaplains was unbelievable,” said Jessica Valentín.  “While our kitchen at Lazarus House cooked the meals, they were responsible for serving them, cleaning everything, facilitating towels, and making sure some of the chaplains stayed overnight to make sure that there were no emergencies,” she added.

That way, they were able to serve over 65 people during those three nights, but she added that she would like to have a police officer to spend the night with them to give them a better sense of security.

Also, House of Mercy on 85 Bay State Rd, Lawrence, extended their hours on Friday 19, and Saturday 20, from 9 AM to 2 PM to the population in need.

That organization doesn’t happen by osmosis; it requires people, planning, and good relationships to see it done.  Kelly Birchall Frazier is the homeless coordinator for the city and while working on the details for this story about Lazarus House and House of Mercy, the stories about her were astonishing.

Jessica Valentín’s description of her work was that “Kelly has a passion for what she does.”

Milagros Dominguez agreed with that saying how “hard she works for the homeless community because she loves what she does.”

These ladies mentioned some of the things Kelly does for her clients.  When they show the desire to find a better life, she goes out of her way to find them housing, training programs, and a job.  That cannot be done without the proper funding, so Mayor Brian DePeña filled those gaps for me.

“The city received a grant for Opioids that we can use to help the homeless population,” Brian said.  “Kelly places them in a rooming house for three months with the rent paid through those funds.  Meanwhile, they get on their feet with a job.”  He assured me that she could tell who was serious about improving their lives.

Furthermore, the mayor explained that Kelly has a computer list of every one of them.  She knows them all by name and if anyone is looking for someone, she can tell them where to find them.  “She has actually reduced the number of homeless individuals in Lawrence.”

“Kelly, as homeless coordinator is very dependable and she gives 100% on her job,” said Police Chief Castro.