Page 49 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 46 Winter 2024

solutions to end their homelessness. Since then, CH close the gap in winter shelter beds. After many meet-
has been responsible for all of the WES programs. ings, these faith leaders and Columbus House staff de-
When the pandemic occurred, all Connecticut com- signed a new program, Abraham’s Tent. This program
munity individual shelters were shut down as the state, would be modeled after a similar program in Virginia
using federal pandemic funds, converted vacated but with particulars that fit the needs of both Columbus
motels to provide individual shelter services still man- House clients and the participating congregations. Lo-
aged by Columbus House and other state agencies. cal ministries in the greater New Haven region agreed
However, family shelters across the state, including the to help provide overnight shelter for Columbus House
two WES family centers, continued operating during residents at their places of worship. This would free
the pandemic. space up in CH’s shelter to increase intake capacity.
Post-pandemic in 2023, it was decided to enhance This new Abraham’s Tent program would shuttle
the WES overnight shelter program by combining it with ten around twelve Columbus House clients to and
Matt Cammarota Stephen Peterson another successful CH program. from a local church or synagogue facility each for the
standing up for others in need is important. I hope 12-week program. Each ministry would provide meals,
families will make many safe, warm memories here.” Columbus House’s Abraham’s Tent companionship, and space for cots for one week
The WES Family Emergency Center started as a Having covered WES’s origin and evolution, CH’s without on site Columbus House support staff. Since
4-month transitional housing program providing shelter Abraham’s Tent [AT] origins explain how local ministries this would be a seven-day-a-week, 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
and meals while seeking to assist the family in perma- came together starting in 2009 and evolved to set the program, each ministry would need approximately 75
nent housing and financial stability. Every family was to stage for both programs combining in 2024. parishioners during the week to share the load in pro-
meet weekly with the case manager as they identified Columbus House opened its doors in 1982 to viding meals , companionship, and overnight coverage.
and solved housing, education, childcare, transporta- provide services to men and women at least 18 years To launch the first program in 2009, 15 ministries
tion, employment, and financial self-sufficiency needs. old. Over the years, its goals broadened from provid- participated. Columbus House staff provided volun-
Due to the initial family center fundraising suc- ing food, shelter, and simple survival to understanding teers with training, helped them design their space for
cess, plans were developed to build another two-family and working toward overcoming problems that cause meals and cots, and maintained an on-call presence in
housing unit next to the Rubin property. This time, the people to become homeless. Columbus House has case of questions or an emergency. Columbus House
Ulbrich family, led by Chris Ulbrich, pledged to match remained committed to fulfilling its mission: “To serve Board members and staff visited each congregation,
dollar for dollar any donation received. The second people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk ate with the clients and volunteers, and did what was
family housing unit, the Fred Ulbrich Sr. Family Center, by providing life-saving outreach, shelter, and hous- needed to make AT a success. The first year was filled
was funded, built, and dedicated in July 2015. Again, ing and fostering personal growth and independence. with uncertainty about whether the program would
no governmental funding was used. We advocate for and create affordable housing to end succeed.
After these units became operational, the WES homelessness in our communities.” Succeed it did! In year two of AT, Stephen Peter-
Board realized that to provide all the critical services to What started in 1982 as a vacated two-story son, a current Wallingford resident, and a North Haven
people experiencing homelessness, WES would have to church convent providing overnight shelter has grown Congregational parishioner, offered to coordinate the
provide solutions, not just shelter. The Board reached into a multi-town $13 million-a-year operation. Today, myriad and necessary day-to-day and week-to-week
out to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness CH manages a network of over 14 community-based administrative details. Although he was always a
(CCEH) for guidance, and in 2015, it connected WES housing and shelter programs in New Haven, Middle- volunteer, he has assumed the role of AT chief organiz-
with New Haven-based Columbus House to learn about town, Wallingford, Hartford, and New London, some ing officer for the past 23 years. åThis meant ensuring
best practices. of which are for Veterans. Columbus House heavily each ministry was adequately prepared and trained for
Following these interactions, it became clear to depends on Federal, State, and City funding, represent- their week. In addition, Steve would always appear on
the WES Board that it could not provide the scope of ing 90 percent of CH’s yearly program funding; the the first night of each week so that the clients could
services needed to offer a broad continuum of care remaining $1.3 million comes from community grants see a familiar face as they were shuttled from one
programs to its clients. While significant work was and individual donations. ministry location to another.
being done in the overnight shelter, WES could not con- In the late 90s, with the country mired in a reces- Each parish embraced the opportunity to partici-
tinue in its current format. The WES Board approached sion, the city of New Haven could not provide funds to pate. Volunteers found their efforts rewarding and
CH about assuming ownership and managing WES’s Columbus House to ensure the continued operation started to look forward to getting to know the CH
programs. of a seasonal overflow shelter for people experiencing clients. Discussions led to connections, relationships,
In July 2016, WES transferred its property assets homelessness during the winter. and empathy for where each client was in life. In the
(the shelter and two- multi-family housing centers) to Alison Cunningham, the then-CEO of Columbus ensuing years, each ministry started to look forward to
CH, knowing that individuals and families without hous- House, knew that to address this crisis, she could call its assigned week, with plenty of volunteers connect-
ing would continue to be well cared for and provided on the local faith community to help brainstorm ways to ing with the CH clients. The list of those ministries who

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