Homeless shelter in national spotlight
The Lawrence Community Shelter spent some time in the national spotlight Wednesday. Good Morning America spent talked with shelter director Loring Henderson Wednesday morning. Enlarge video
Lawrence Community Shelter director Loring Henderson was lauded as a “saint” and as the “gentlest man I know,” on ABC’s Good Morning America program Wednesday.
Now, he’ll wait to see if such compliments turn into donations for the shelter’s efforts to relocate from downtown to a site in eastern Lawrence near the Douglas County Jail.
“I think it certainly will help,” Henderson said. “It can’t hurt. We’ll just see to what degree. We’ll get a lot of indirect, positive reaction from it for sure.”
GMA co-host George Stephanopoulos chose Henderson as one of the people who has inspired him during his life. The two met in the early 1980s in Washington, D.C., when Stephanopoulos was an intern and Henderson was a non-profit, think tank administrator.
During the piece, which ran longer than five minutes, Stephanopoulos recalled Henderson taking him to a Washington D.C., kitchen where Henderson volunteered regularly.
Stephanopoulos also predicted that the story would embarrass Henderson, calling him a “very shy” man. Stephanopoulos was correct.
“Sure, it embarrassed me,” Henderson said after watching the story at his Lawrence home. “This is not the kind of thing you seek, but it can be helpful to the program. But I was flattered and honored. I appreciate it deeply. I’m just thankful I can be part of this work.”
The shelter is seeking to raise about $3 million to move from its location at 10th and Kentucky streets to the site near the Douglas County Jail.
Comments
Vinny1 3 years ago
Lawrence needs to not be so homeless friendly. Make the bums get a job.
acornwebworks 3 years ago
How many have you hired?
ilovelucy 3 years ago
Great broadcast Loring! Very well deserved.
jafs 3 years ago
I assume you're equally opposed to all tax abatements, etc. for businesses.
OldEnuf2BYurDad 3 years ago
NO, because those abatements help the economy. Apples and oranges.
sojourner 3 years ago
I agree with you. I work at a homeless shelter in Wichita and it seems that whenever govn't gets involved it ruins whatever good you're trying to do because whenever you accept govn't money there's always strings attached..
rtpayton 3 years ago
My comment to Vinny1 is that Bernie Madoff had a job and I would consider him a bum. Just because a person doesn't have employment doesn't make him or her a bum. My suggestion Vinny is that you hire some so called "bums" so that they have a job.
Vinny1 3 years ago
What does it make them?
Anyone can go out and find a job. It may not be exactly what they want to be doing, or what they enjoy doing, but they can find a job, make some money and not be sitting on the street begging.
jafs 3 years ago
With almost 20% unemployment and many jobs lost for good, I doubt it's that easy for everyone to find jobs right now.
Vinny1 3 years ago
I promise you, if you go out and do a little bit of work you can find a job. Again, it may not be what you want to do, it may be flipping burgers, but I promise anyone can go find a job and make enough money to not be homeless.
reallyreal 3 years ago
All I can say is with an attitude like yours...the karma will come back around and there will be a time in your life when you need someones help..and I hope you find people with more grace and understanding then you have.....alot of people are homeless due to circumstances beyond their control...and life happens...so they need some help....while I dont believe that we should inable people to mooch....we should still help people! Good luck with that Karma coming your way...hahahahaa
OldEnuf2BYurDad 3 years ago
If Madoff had a "job", then you are legitimizing crime as an industry.
rtpayton 3 years ago
Organized crime is an industry that makes millions or more every year. Check out the organized crime page on the FBI website and you may learn crime is an industry that "strangles free enterprise."
geekin_topekan 3 years ago
Sierra, where were you when that behemoth eyesore on campus was in the planning stages?Welfare comes in all sizes and shapes and Id imagine that the homeless would be the cheapest of them all.
smitty 3 years ago
Agreed, sierraclub.
Our city has the shelter at the top of a list of city features as if it were, indeed a totally funded city project. If you disagree with the way the city is presenting this effort, contact your commissioners.
From the front page of the city site:
City features •Lawrence Community Shelter •Downtown Parking in Lawrence •2009 Annual Report •Farmland •City Commission Goals •Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department •Energy conservation by the City of Lawrence •Economic development policies, goals and procedures
city commission contact info: http://www.lawrenceks.org/commissioners
Mayor Mike Amyx mikeamyx515@hotmail.com Home (785) 843-3089 Work (785) 842-9425
Vice-Mayor Aron E. Cromwell aroncromwell@gmail.com (785) 749-6020 Commissioner Lance Johnson ljohnson@peridiangroup.com (785) 838-3338
Commissioner Michael Dever mdever@sunflower.com (785) 550-4909 Commissioner Robert Chestnut robchestnut@sunflower.com (785) 764-3220
oneeye_wilbur 3 years ago
40 Years Ago. read what the Journal World has written.
Lawrence has no guts anymore to solve problems but to throw good money after bad.
QuiviraTrail 3 years ago
The police have started cracking down on misbehavior by homeless people in the downtown. For example, they are fining people for walking through South Park when it is closed and for sleeping on park benches.
In Kansas CIty the social service organizations are urging people not to give to panhandlers but to organizations that help the homeless. Maybe that idea of having special parking meters where people could put in coins and the money would go to organizations that help homeless people would work.
spammer89 3 years ago
We just noved from Lawrence to Madison, WI and we miss lawrence yeah the homeless are a pain in the butt. Well at least they have not started the crud they are pulling up here. But who knows may start to happen in Lawrence as well.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_63d45f9a-6217-11df-8fcb-001cc4c03286.html
OldEnuf2BYurDad 3 years ago
"Squatters are not going to have any interest in that home and not going to keep up that property"
Exactly. Just ask Habitat for Humanity. They learned that you can't just give people places to live without some sort of investment on their part.
GSWtotheheart 3 years ago
Habitat does not "GIVE" people a place to live and they never have. That is one of the most asinine comments I've ever seen on the LJWorlds forums, and that's saying A LOT! Potential homeowners go through a vetting process and have to put in at least 50 hours of sweat equity on another H4H house before their own home is started. Then another 200+ hours on their own home. H4H homeowners then own they home but make house payments to H4H. H4H homes have a mortgage on them. Habitat never "learned" they couldn't give homes away, because they never "gave" homes away. And for the record, the number of H4H homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages is WAAAAY below the average number of defaultees across the nation with traditional mortgages. Might wanna learn the facts before you spout stupidity.
Phogfan86 3 years ago
Give Madtown some time and you'll forget Lawrence even exists.
50YearResident 3 years ago
My objections to the homeless shelter in Lawrence, With it comes more crime, a drain on local resorces, and a negative impact on Lawrence as a good place to live and raise a family. The majority of people served by the shelter are not local residents but people that are drawn here for the free handouts and benefits, most of whom already have a police record. We don't need to improve accomadations just to draw more of the same.
acornwebworks 3 years ago
And you know this how??? (Since it's not supported by the data.)
The largest growth sector at the shelter has been families with children. Yeah, those dangerous drug-addicted gangsta toddlers. Gotta throw them out on the street. Yeah...let them join the Terrible Twos street gang. Homeless toddlers. What a scary bunch they are.
think_about_it 3 years ago
Yeah, so embarrassed that he called Mr. Lawhorn to tell him that.
mmblack 3 years ago
Maybe I'm missing something. Where does the article say Mr. Henderson called Mr. Lawhorn?
funkdog1 3 years ago
Generally, reporters contact the people in their stories. Not the other way around.
cdc 3 years ago
Loring did NOT contact Lawhorn to tell him about the ABC story. Why on earth do you think that? I think it's because you're jealous of Loring because he is doing amazing things with his life, and you are just posting mean comments on LJ World. Find something more positive and productive to do with your life, dude.
reallyreal 3 years ago
It just cracks me up that so many people automatically assume someone is a criminal because they are homeless.....I was homeless and I have no police record..thank you very much! And with alot of help and hard work I am now 12 years later a home owner!! Praise the Lord! And just to be clear.......there are Alot of people with Jobs that commit crimes and have police records as well! Geez so judgemental!
OldEnuf2BYurDad 3 years ago
Would you call yourself representative of the homeless you encountered, or are you the exception?
acornwebworks 3 years ago
I decided to rent to four homeless guys. They couldn't pass credit and background checks, but I decided to give them a chance. Plus, because they couldn't qualify for getting the utilities on, I raised the rent and made the utilities included.
Yes, one of them turned out to be a criminal. Sadly, last month he collected the rent from the other guys and, instead of bringing it over, stole it all, and went on a crack binge and fled to Wichita. (Yup, there's been a police report filed and, yup, he's admitted it.)
The other three? They hustled their butts off to scrounge up replacement money. It's been a struggle for them, but they're working hard to stay on top of things, doing their best to not lose a chance at a home they never expected to have again. They keep the place neat and clean. They keep me advised of things. (One told me he was $50 short of the rent, but he'd have it for me on the 19th...and this afternoon - the 19th -he was at my door with the $50.) They're currently looking for a 4th housemate they can trust.
Frankly, I think they're great tenants. I'm not going to let that one bad apple spoil everything. I mean, it's not like I haven't had bad tenants before! But these 3 guys...they're keepers.
Newell_Post 3 years ago
It's OK, Loring. We're embarrassed by you, too.
fancy80 3 years ago
There is an agency here in town funded by Stimulus money that is helping find homes for the homeless. They have been granted 650,000 dollars (that's 650 THOUSAND) dollars for Douglas County alone. The idea is, to pay first and last months rent and a few months rent to get them going. As of last month, they had successfully helped three homeless people off the streets and into apartments. Two of the people they were paying rent for were students. One has been going to college for 15 years and is working on his/her second masters and the other has been going to college for 8 years and was convinced by the people helping him/her that he/she should go for their masters. At what point, are these "homeless" people encouraged to go out and get a job and perhaps, pay it forward? How many masters degrees should one have before they are considered employable. Go sit outside the Lawrence food bank and watch the big suv's with personalized license plates and cell phone and fancy tires and rims, pull up and have the free food brought out to them. From all accounts I have heard, I think the "poor" people have nicer rides than I do. Of course, I'm just a working stiff, making more money for the gov. to take and give to the poor people. Because you know, it's not fair that the poor kids don't have iphones and the latest video game. If people in Lawrence knew all the stuff that is going on with our tax money, and our kids and their kids tax money, they would be appalled. But LJW doesn't report on that stuff, nor does Good Morning America.
Newell_Post 3 years ago
Did anybody actually watch this? Was there any counterpoint at all? Like, turning Lawrence into the biggest bum magnet in the Midwest?
fancy80 3 years ago
I wasn't able to watch it because, well I was driving to work. I'm assuming the homeless were able to watch it though.
BigPrune 3 years ago
If he's a registered Democrat he cannot be a "saint."
:)
TopJayhawk 3 years ago
Not near as many homeless are that way due to circumstances beyond their control as you would like to think. I could go out today and come home with three jobs if I wanted to. It may be flipping burgers, but I would have a job. Cry me a river.
Vinny1 3 years ago
Exactly.
As I said before, it may not be the job that you enjoy...but I promise anyone can go out and find a job.
smitty 3 years ago
an opinion from someone present at the filming:
jayhawk72 (Kimberly Curtiss) says…
I know a recently displace individual whom is staying at the shelter. She was there when they were filming. She said that Mr. Henderson had mentioned that each "resident' of the shelter was receiving job assistance and counseling help on a daily basis. That is NOT being offered to them. (besides telling them what bus to get on to get to the Workforce Center) They were also made to stand outside in the rain while a "selected few" were allowed to be filmed. Why? Are you afraid of looking bad in the eyes millions of people across the nation? Homelessness is a REAL issue since the economy crashed. These are people...no matter what their problems are. Be it addiction, alcoholism, or just plain down on your luck. People turn to BAD things as a resort of numbing out the pain in their life. Pushing them outside while you make yourself look like superman isn't the answer. Not to mention that it makes them feel "less than." Nor is putting up new posters and such. You want to look as if we can't afford to build a new shelter. Dilapidated posters and limited sleeping conditions would have done just fine by themselves without you hanging NEW posters. If anything you should have let them all stay inside so that America could see that we have a major problem, not only in our town, but in our country as a whole. Its not just individuals, but families that are being affected.
If I were on the shelters committee, I would be watching that bank account for ANY discrepancies just to be sure the monies are going toward the purpose they are intended for and that doesn't include lining any one's pocket. Loring........
Get some people in there that are willing to make a difference. Get some students studying psychology or social service to come in and volunteer their time in place of credit to help those that WANT it.( and I emphasize WANT) We are a college town...utilize it. I'm sure some students studying in that field would be glad to help those in need for some course credit...not to mention the good feeling you get just by helping and being there for someone who feels they have no one to turn to that will listen.
get rid of ....the night monitoring couple that do nothing but make-out all night long. There are better places for that. Must suck to have to listen to loud smooching all night long when you are trying to sleep just a few feet away.
I know I have a tendency to gripe about a lot of subjects here. This one holds a place in my heart. I have many soap boxes to stand on. But people, sometimes the solution to the problem IS just as easy as it seems. Keep it simple. Be blunt. Make your point and be open minded to those that have opposing opinions. What a boring world this would be if we were all made from the same cookie cutter. Have a wonderful day.
May 14, 2010 at 2:14 p.m.
smitty 3 years ago
Relax, unless you have realized that your subsidised apartment is in jeopardy because you have not kissed managements behind enough. At Vermont Towers(for profit subsidised housing) it takes longer to get evicted for dealing drugs than someone who reports management of black mold in the central A/C unit. Then they give the community minded tenant a notice to move due to interference with management. Since it was an illegal notice, it took 6 months before the move happened, thanks to legal support.
You kiss arse waaay too much to worry about being homeless again. Relax, you're now part of the system.
Just for the record, the mentally ill segment of the homeless need much more support.
asbury 3 years ago
Well, I just watched it, and frankly, I'm impressed. I have mostly read only negative things about Mr. Loring. I am familiar with Lawrence, and I am aware of the problems associated with the homeless there. Maybe this piece will aid him in his fund drive. I hope it does. And kudos to Teri G-G. for volunteering.....but I bet she wasn't planning to be on national TV that morning!!
artichokeheart 3 years ago
Oh puke... No, let's let the participants at the CDIC continue to puke on our sidewalks.
smitty 3 years ago
In response to my May 19, 2010 at 12:32 p.m.
The city page no longer features the shelter as it's top and for most feature. I'll assume that some lurkers took advantage of the posted commissioners names and contacted them.
The city commissioners have already made up their mind? They got caught with their teats in a wringer again. Make the commissioners and the manager explain.
JW, this is yours to do.
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