By Sheila G. Kelley, development coordinator
Homelessness is defined as a condition of lacking stable, safe and adequate housing.
People become homeless for lots of different reasons. There are social causes of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment; and life events which push people into homelessness.
Homeless people in Harvey County can find a safe harbor at New Hope Shelter in Newton. The shelter was started 17 years ago as a spinoff of New Jerusalem, an organization that provides physical, emotional and spiritual support to people marginalized by society.
Starting services in the basement of New Jerusalem, the shelter eventually moved to their current location on the 50-acre EmberHope campus on Broadway Street. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately in the long run, EmberHope declined to renew the lease in June 2020 as their programs have expanded and the space is needed.
“We are in the process of putting together funds in an ever-changing environment ,” said Brian Bisbee, New Hope Shelter Executive Director. “The new facility will take our capacity from 30 to 40 people.”
A five-acre parcel south of Casey’s will be the site of the new shelter. Brian said groundbreaking should be sometime in October with a tentative completion date of 2023.
The increased room will probably be quickly filled as the shelter serves a four-county area – Marion, McPherson, Butler and Harvey. Brian said that most every day he turns people away due to lack of space. Of those Brian has turned away, a large number of them are people from the Wichita area.
“There is a crisis of supply for homeless beds in Wichita for women and especially women with children,” Brian stated. “When I say crisis, I mean there are hundreds that do not have housing down there. I’m getting calls every day out of Wichita.”
New Hope served 341 people in 2021. The length of stay varies, but last year the average was 42 days.
“A common myth is that in a place like this, we just have people sitting around doing nothing and having food thrown in their laps,” Brian explained.
That assumption is far from true. With 30% of their clients being disabled, the other 70% are able to work and are expected and encouraged to do so.
For those with disabilities, Brian helps them determine immediately on securing their disability payments and identifying which needs are to be met first. Many times they aren’t able to find housing because they owe back payments to utility companies.
Brian helps those clients get the arrears prioritized and sets the goal of getting them paid so their slate is clear. Once bills have been paid, they can transition to low-income housing.
For those who are able to work, Brian asks them about their work experience to see where they might be able to find employment. A large hurdle for the clients to overcome is that many of them have lost their identification papers – birth certificates, social security cards, government ID – so they aren’t always employable to many businesses.
“I love to connect people with opportunities,” Brian said. One of his connections is with Ernest Evans, owner of Pipe Dream Pallets in Hesston.
“[Ernest] serves a critical function because basically we get the people who have lost their identification and so we send these people out to earn the money for their birth certificates – then they get their birth certificates,” Brian said. “Then they get their social security card. Then they earn money for their driver’s license.”
Two men from the shelter have recently gone through that sequence. After making enough money to get all their identification papers, they are able to transition to higher paying jobs in the community.
“One of them is starting at MasterBrand and the other has applied there too,” Brian said. “Ernest is willing to hire them to do that. He is a great guy.”
With no significant budget to purchase food for clients, New Hope is extremely thankful for donations from the community.
“Evening meals are provided by churches in a rotation,” Brian stated. “Breakfasts are leftovers and lunch is from donations whenever we can get it.”
The shelter posts a needs list every couple of weeks on Facebook and Brian is grateful to those who respond to the shelter’s needs. Food isn’t the only item received with thanks. Cleaning products are always needed as well as personal hygiene items.
“Every supply we have in this place is donated,” Brian explained. “We don’t have a supply budget.
New Hope Shelter plays a vital role in our community and relies on support from the community to achieve its mission. Homelessness is not inevitable. With collective action and compassionate people, it can be ended.
The United Way 