Abbie James, Campus Carrier Reporter and Cait Buckalew, Campus Carrier Editor
Floyd County’s William S. Davies Homeless Shelter houses men over the age of 18, but it is not just a place to sleep at night. The shelter serves as a transitional place for men to stay while they go through the process of finding work and permanent housing.
Currently, the Davies Homeless Shelter is located at Community Kitchen because of unforeseen circumstances at the original building. Lack of a building has created temporary conditions that do not reach the full potential of functionality desired by the Davies staff.
Because of the changing standards of today’s society, it is important that Davies Shelter stay up to date and fully functioning in order to minister to those in the community who need it most.
A new building, on which bids were accepted until 5 p.m. on Nov. 15, will be built on a piece of land already owned by the shelter and will establish new opportunities for the shelter and the people staying there. More meeting space, a computer lab and the ability to accommodate women are included on the wish list for the new building, alongside a request for a second garden.
Students have an opportunity to work with the shelter and be involved in the Rome community to contribute to the impact that the shelter is making in the area.
Coming together as one group, not as two separate communities, is a key factor in cultivating a service-oriented community. At Berry, the same sense of service is embedded into the makeup of the school.
“These men, a lot of them don’t have any contact with the young people or the sort of culture that we all live in,” said Merrill Davies, wife of William Davies. “When Berry students come and do something for the shelter it may be the only thing that they really see of college students during the whole year. It is kind of like a way that they connect with the community.”
Students engage in the community by helping provide the shelter with fresh produce.
“We have a garden that Berry College and the group takes care of out there,” Davies said. “We are building a second garden behind the shelter that will have a path down to it and we will work both gardens. The men in the shelter love to work the garden, that is a big part of what it is.”
The opportunity for men to work in the garden is also an opportunity for those men to come in contact with some Berry students, like junior Emily McLendon. McLendon has taken advantage of opportunities to merge her passion for plants with service. She currently works in the gardens at Bagwell Food Pantry that benefit the Davies Shelter. She began her time there because of an anthropology and environmental science directed study, but it has grown into much more.
“I want to make a difference in giving healthy things to people who do not have access to healthy things,” McLendon said.
McLendon hopes to become an organic farmer and have her own community outreach. For now, she is heavily involved in Food Days at the food pantry. Homeless people across the area can come and learn how to cook the items grown in the garden, along with receiving a freshly home cooked meal. That way, when they get back on their feet, they will know how to cook healthy items, instead of turning to the unhealthier option of canned goods. During the Food Days, McLendon has the opportunity to come in contact with and educate homeless people in the area about the importance of healthy food.
Davies’ motivation comes from a desire to meet spiritual needs as well.
“It is not about groceries, and it is not about sleeping, and it is not about shelter and it is not about jobs,” Davies said. “It is about letting people know that God loves them and we love them also.”
According to the their community educational material, the shelter has housed 3,000 people since 2003. It is completely supported by the community.
The shelter closes during the day. Guests are required to use that time to search for employment. Second, guests are encouraged to use the time to become involved in the community in some manner. In this way, community support comes from all members of a community.
“Homeless people are people; they are not an other,” Sarah Allred, associate professor of sociology, said. “They are not an alien species. They are people who are largely down on their luck. And who hasn’t been down on their luck?”