Olivia Vest
Managing Editor
With winter weather and low temperatures on the way, one El Dorado-based organization is working quickly to ensure that Butler County’s increasing numbers of homeless individuals will have a warm place to stay in upcoming months.
The Butler Homeless Initiative (BHI), located at El Dorado’s First Church of the Nazarene on 1st and Taylor, opened its Cold Weather Shelter for the first time in March of last year, and is now preparing to open once again on the first of November for several months, another first for the organization.
With the help of the Church of the Nazarene, volunteers, community members and Butler County’s Emergency Solutions Grant, the Initiative focuses on the housing crisis seen by homeless individuals in the area.
“We focus on housing services,” said Executive Director of the Initiative Danica Murray. “We don’t want to duplicate efforts in the community. A lot of the people we serve are struggling with food assistance and that sort of thing, but our focus is on shelter and housing.”
Other than the Cold Weather Shelter, BHI also offers three other main services. These include a Rapid Rehousing Program, assisting community members facing homelessness by helping overcome obstacles in finding permanent housing, as well as BHI Transitional Home. Earlier this year, the Initiative purchased a single-family home to help a homeless individual or family transition back into permanent residency and self-sufficiency. The home will allow BHI to house at least one individual or family during months when the Cold Weather Shelter is not in service.
In addition to these services, BHI also offers a Help Shelf. This program, supported largely by donation and volunteer work from community members as well as the senior center, supplies homeless individuals with hygiene products, clothing items, blankets and food staples.
“Anybody who comes in and are in need of services, whether we are able to help them or not,whether they’re here because of a housing crisis, we’re able to offer them the Help Shelf,” Murray said. “We offer personal hygiene items, some food items…. Various items that people donate that you don’t think are that big of a deal, unless you don’t have deodorant, or you don’t have toothpaste. The response with that program is amazing.”
The organization initially began in 2007 when a need was seen for community help.
“Crystal Wallace, who, at the time was the president of Mothers Against Meth, saw an influx of people—not just drug addicts, but people who were down on their luck—who were in need of help,” Murray said. “She reached out to a pastor, and they reached out to a group of key community members, people who were involved and cared, and the need was determined for an organization like ours. They obtained their 501C3 the next year in 2008, and, since then, they have been trying to establish a shelter in Butler County or El Dorado.”
Because of fire codes, the Cold Weather Shelter, which is located in the basement of the First Church of the Nazarene, can currently house eight homeless individuals. These community members in need sleep in one of three main living quarters, including a women’s area, a men’s area, and family room that allows relatives to stay together.
Different events leading to these housing crises can affect individuals for different periods of time. These situations can cause long-term homelessness or a shorter period of need.
“We see what we refer to as chronic homelessness in Butler County, but we don’t see those on a daily basis,” said Case Manager Dallas Collins. “We see a lot of circumstantial homelessness. Anyone in Butler County is eligible for these services, and we have reached pretty far across the area. We see some inquiries from other counties, but our policy is such that we can only help Butler County.”
Individuals looking to become involved with BHI can reach out to Murray at 316-323-4122, or stop by First Church of the Nazarene during their office hours from 9:00 am – noon, Monday-Thursday. Individuals in need of assistance can check into the Cold Weather Shelter from Tuesday, Nov. 1 – Friday, March 31 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. or contact Collins at 316-321-1454.
