To the editor:

The current facility used to house Lawrence’s homeless is a gym. That means for the time the Shelter is open, all clients sleep on mats placed on the floor. Temporary walls separate groups into a dorm-like atmosphere. There is one shower for all to use. The Salvation Army has one washer and one dryer for use by all clients. The Army is doing its best to help out the homeless in a temporary, inadequate facility. The good news is the facility is clean, warm in the winter and cool in the summer, dry and safer than being on the street.

The Army officers and their advisory board are working diligently to locate a site for a full-time shelter. We need the cooperation of the community to complete the task.

Currently the Army is trying to raise $60,000 to keep the temporary shelter open from April to October 2002. The Salvation Army has a proud history in Lawrence, and we need the help and interest of local citizens to allow the Army to provide badly needed facilities.

Bonnie Smith

Lawrence