The Lawrence Community Shelter still needs to raise $800,000 before Nov. 24 — Thanksgiving Day — to make plans for a new shelter a reality.
But Loring Henderson, shelter director, says he’s confident the community will step up.
“It’s going to happen,” Henderson said. “We’re just excited.”
Shelter officials and community leaders recently announced a $1.7 million agreement to purchase a 25,000-square-foot warehouse at 3701 Franklin Park Circle, just east of Douglas County Jail. With renovations, the total cost of the project is estimated at $2.7 million.
While the shelter has been raising funds and securing grants, it needs to raise about $800,000 in order to receive a $540,000 Mabee Foundation matching grant.
Henderson said shelter supporters have been sending out information to donors, seeking support.
After years of efforts to find a site and obtain city and county support, shelter officials say the plan is to move to the new shelter — which will have 125 beds, compared with the current 75-bed shelter at 214 W. 10th St. — within the next year.
Henderson said the shelter has been seeing a record number of people, and it typically sees more than 100 people come to its doors every day. It’s currently utilizing overflow sites to house people when it reaches its 75-bed capacity.
In addition to more beds, plans for the new shelter include family areas and meeting spaces.
For those in the area who support a new shelter, Henderson said the message is simple: Send money.
“Now’s the time to give,” he said.
Donations can be sent to the shelter, 214 W. 10th St., Lawrence 66044, or made online at lawrenceshelter.org.
Comments
Cant_have_it_both_ways 1 year, 7 months ago
Sorry Loring, but your style of management is not what the citizens of Lawrence choose to support. Dry it out, take care of those from our zip code and demand they better themselves and you might have a shot. Otherwise, move your flop house to somewhere else.
kansasredlegs 1 year, 7 months ago
He should be hopeful since "Can't-You-Just-Smell-the-Agro-Tourism' Thellman and 'I-Luv-To-Give-Away-Taxpayer-Money' Gaughan are serving on the County Commission. Come on Gaughan, it's only another $800K, 'er only $700, if you take back the $100K Lawrence Theatre no longer needs.
Nonetheless, why spend over $1M for the sole purpose of removing Restrictive Covenants to allow this non-zoned use (will require a conditional use permit even with lifting of covenants) to fail for a paltry $700K. Perhaps another illegal Executive Session with the City, Mr. Ice & Mr. Six to discuss how to get SRS to fund Mr. Henderson's money deficit.
chzypoof1 1 year, 7 months ago
Move your plans downtown, where they belong, and will gladly contribute. I am not against our citizens that need this, I'm against the location. Are we going to bus these people out there at night on the EmpT? How are they going to try and get jobs? Walk downtown?
Shame on the business owners for encouraging this, so they can push the "unwanted" people outside of town.
Sad
poof
campblood 1 year, 7 months ago
standing room only on the "EmpT" (<-- so clever) yesterday...
wissmo 1 year, 7 months ago
Yes, we can bus them on the EmT. When they hahahahah do obtain jobs how are they going to travel then?
gimme
Free room and chow. Clothes, medical care, and in many cases a social worker. Is a nice car far off? Why work?
oneeye_wilbur 1 year, 7 months ago
My great grandmother went to a Poor Farm, her children placed out, my grandmother died and left childrens as orphans. They made it! .Loring Henderson is all about Loring and nothing else. And when he takes the "chosen few" and abandons the others , he has indicated as such then what is the next move for the City Commission. This is unbelievable that a communty would raise this much money but cannot find a few hundred thousand to remodel the former Alternative High school for a branch library, that a community will spend 10s of millions on a library that will amount to nothing more than outside fluff and in a year or so still be dirty inside as the present building. But while Henderson continues his experience, the city commission, the county commission will fund whatever comes along that he needs.
Where are the hard cold facts about who has benefitted from the Open Shelter, aka Drop In Center, job statistics, Shirley Martin Smiith should have that info. There is so much that the Journal World has not printed and will not print and why one has to wonder.
In my opinion, Mr. Henderson is a modern day Jim Jones.
The City Commission has created a monster program that they shall never regret.
kernal 1 year, 7 months ago
Careful there Wilbur. Comments about the truth of the matter will get you disappeareded.
wissmo 1 year, 7 months ago
Not if Lawrence Kansas allowed you to drink and still offered services.
pavethewetlands 1 year, 7 months ago
Their downtown neighbors and the city should be happy to help them raise the funds. Combined property values in the area would increases at least $800,000.00 not to mention the increased revenue from shoppers who have been avoiding downtown because of panhandling. I think the proposed location is great!
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