Social Services Providers in Greater Newburyport

We have created a spreadsheet of local social services providers, searchable on the following:

Housing
Fuel
Food
Meals
Clothing
Transportation assistance
Household goods
Occupational Education and Training
Financial and Economic Counseling
Child and Youth services
Veterans
Healthcare Treatment and Counseling

If you would like to receive this list via email in a spreadsheet, please email info@ROOFOverHead.org.

Consignment, Thrift and Free Clothing, Household Goods, and other stuff!

 

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Salisbury Winter Population Profiled on NPR's WBUR

Come Winter, A Different Population Flocks To Mass. Beach Town

SALISBURY, Mass. — In an East Coast beach town this time of year, you’re struck by what you feel and by what’s missing.

Here on the oceanfront in Salisbury, on Massachusetts’ far North Shore, you feel the cold breeze and the moist air off the ocean. It bites right through your clothes.

What’s missing are the throngs of people who’ll pack this place in a couple of months. But right now, most of the restaurants and the tourist shops are closed.

Still, the offseason does attract many other people who come here to stay for months — not on vacation, but out of necessity.

Many people who are struggling are drawn to this beach town during the winter.

 

Jean — who we met in town at the Pettengill House, a social service agency that covers 10 local communities — has been homeless three times. In order to protect her and her two young children, she’s asked we use her middle name.

“It’s a little depressing,” she explains. “It’s put a lot of emotional strain on me — trying to not show my kids that it’s upsetting me so that they’re not upset. I’m not used to living in a hotel like that. It makes life harder.”

Notice she says hotel.

Jean tells us how she found herself, 27 years old with a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, living in a Salisbury hotel, or motel, since January.

Unreliable transportation, past evictions and an abusive relationship left her looking for a temporary solution to homelessness. She found it in Salisbury.

“These are the cheapest hotels that they have,” Jean says. “I need to make sure that I have an every-week guarantee of the same place so we’re not bouncing from hotel to hotel.”

Jean pays the bills working long hours as a personal care attendant for an elderly couple. Her rent is $251 a week for one room.

She’s not alone. Many people who are struggling are drawn to this beach town during the winter.  TWEET                         
                
A ‘Transient Population’ 
“Salisbury is a seaside community where we have a lot of transient population,” explains Ann Champagne, a retired Salisbury Police Department detective and a case worker at the Pettengill House.

Ann Champagne, a caseworker at the Pettengill House in Salisbury, fills grocery bags for people in need of food. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

“What I mean by that is winter seasonal rentals — they may be cottages, they may be motels, they may be apartments — are rented only for the season and the people have to be out come April, so they’re rented for the winter,” Champagne says.

That transient population pulses in and out of beachfront communities all along the Massachusetts coast during the summer months, when Salisbury’s year-round population of about 8,000 swells to nearly three times that.

“The warmer months it’s more of a vacation spot,” explains James Leavitt, a Salisbury police officer. “Where the winter, I would say, is more of, maybe people down on their luck that need a place … coming here for need because of the low cost of apartments and rentals down here in the winter.”

Officer Leavitt is a nine-year veteran of the Salisbury Police Department. He primarily handles domestic dispute cases; the number of which he says remains relatively consistent year-round, even though the winter population is three times less than the summer population.

Leavitt speaks with us in the 1930s-era police station in a windowless, multipurpose room that houses the department refrigerator and the 911 computer system. We’re joined by Det. Sgt. Anthony King.
“There’s an opportunity here in the wintertime, I think,” King explains. “Not that there isn’t in the summertime, but it’s a different type of opportunity.”

A man emerges from the Salisbury Inn and Motel on Beach Road in Salisbury. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

When he says “opportunity,” King is talking about the opportunity for crime. Streets in winter are largely deserted and empty summer houses can be targets for some people who might be criminally-minded.

Salisbury Police figures show burglary and breaking and entering charges spiked in the offseason last year — October through March — outpacing charges in the summer, when the population, you’ll remember, nearly triples.

Crime is a worry for Jean, living in the motel with her two kids.

“I don’t feel safe,” she says. “I know what’s rolling around down there. I sleep with both locks on the door and I sleep closest to the door.

“I have recently acquired a tiny little pocket knife because it makes me feel safe. I mean, I don’t have a lot of expensive stuff, but I still have my kids there and that’s the biggest issue, their safety.”

Educating Homeless Kids
The lack of space in that one motel room is also an issue, and it’s taking a toll on her children.
“School wise, my son is starting to go a little bit in rewind,” Jean says. “His reading is not as good as it could be. He was doing really good. Behavioral wise, they’re acting out a lot more now.”
Jean’s son began the academic year in Bradford Public Schools, about 30 minutes from Salisbury. That’s where they were living before moving to the motel in Salisbury.

Under a federal law that mandates school district support of homeless students, Jean had the right to choose where she wanted her son to finish out the school year. So her son still attends school in Bradford, picked up every morning in a cab paid for by the school district.

“We could have a student the day before MCAS show up, take MCAS and it counts on Salisbury’s report card. And then leave the next week.” – Jim Montanari, principal of Salisbury Elementary, where on average, about one in six of the 550 students is experiencing homelessness

 

“It’s been a little difficult for him because he leaves earlier than all the rest of the kids,” Jean says. “They all wonder why he gets to walk around the school with a booster seat. Some days he doesn’t even want to go to school. Some days he’s begging me to find him a different ride because he doesn’t want to take a cab because it’s embarrassing for him.”

Embarrassing for the boy and challenging for the towns. The numbers fluctuate, but on average, almost one in six of the roughly 550 children in Salisbury Elementary School is experiencing homelessness.

Though the student-teacher ratio in Salisbury is better than the state average, the grade school’s MCAS scores in English, math and science have been below the state average the last three years.
“We could have a student the day before MCAS show up, take MCAS and it counts on Salisbury’s report card. And then leave the next week,” explains Jim Montanari, whose been principal of Salisbury Elementary for nine years.

Montanari’s office is dominated by a wall of pictures of his own kids and inspirational learning material for his students. He says among kids who live in town year-round, scores are improving. But it’s difficult when you’re teaching children who are there for just part of the year.

“It’s a challenge, but it’s not an excuse, and we have to make adjustments,” he says. “Here at Salisbury Elementary, we do it differently. Students understand, they feel safe and they’re happy. As a school we can’t control their home life and so forth. We do have control when the students are here.”

Meantime, Jean may have to move out of her Beach Road motel in Salisbury. With the winter rental season almost over, her weekly rent is about to rise.

“Once April hits, they’re going to spike the rent up for that hotel room from $250 to $400 and I can’t afford that,” she says. “That’ll take every single penny that I make. I’ll have nothing for food, nothing for gas, nothing for my car. That makes me nervous.”

If Jean can’t find an affordable apartment — and so far she’s had no success — she and her kids are likely to be homeless again.

Educators Face Challenges In Ensuring Homeless Students Attend School

BOSTON — With homelessness on the rise in Massachusetts, supporting school age children experiencing homelessness is also a growing challenge. In the 2011-2012 academic year, public schools across the state identified and served more than 15,000 homeless students.
Alan Ingram, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, joined WBUR’s Morning Edition and says the main priority is making sure these kids can get to school.

To hear the full report, please click here.

Food Pantries & Meals in Greater Newburyport -- updated March 2014

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Homeless survey shows 'a huge need' - Newburyport Daily News

• Celebrations

February 6, 2014

 

YWCA count reveals similar numbers to last year

By Dave Rogers Staff writer 

  The Daily News of Newburyport Thu Feb 06, 2014, 03:00 AM EST

NEWBURYPORT — The number of homeless people living in Newburyport and four surrounding communities declined from the previous year, but according to the Greater Newburyport YWCA, which conducted the survey last week, those numbers could be skewed.
The survey, which was conducted by YWCA volunteers and board members, showed that there are 369 homeless people living in Newburyport, Amesbury, Rowley, Salisbury and Newbury. That’s down from 405 the year before, the first time the YWCA conducted such a survey.
But according to Greater Newburyport YWCA executive director John Feehan, there’s reason to believe the number of homeless is greater.
As part of their count, volunteers call area hotels, where many homeless people live. This year, one hotel that housed 25 homeless people according to last year’s survey declined to answer this time around, according to Feehan.
“This year they didn’t cooperate with us and give us numbers, so we think the numbers are actually very close to what they were last year. My suspicion is if you take that number out of the equation, then that’s the difference,” Feehan said.
The definition of homelessness, the lack of a permanent dwelling meant for human habitation, may come as a surprise to some, as it’s more than just a person living out in the elements. It includes anyone living in hotels, those couch surfing with friends and even multiple families living in an apartment legally intended for one family because the additional families are at risk of eviction if discovered.
In conducting the survey, organizers are hoping to accomplish multiple goals: raise awareness of the plight of the homeless and make the case for additional resources to help those in need.
The survey includes children enrolled in school districts, who make up the majority of those considered homeless. When taken out of the final tally, the survey showed that there were 44 homeless in Amesbury, 20 in Newburyport and 19 in Salisbury for a total of 83.
Last year, the survey identified 76 individuals, including five children, in Newburyport, Amesbury, Salisbury, Newbury and Rowley who were considered homeless. Of those, 45 were found in Salisbury, 17 in Amesbury and 12 in Newburyport.
Volunteers also called veterans services providers in multiple communities to determine how many of the homeless served in the country’s armed forces.
Last year a count of homeless veterans identified five in Amesbury, two in Newburyport and one in Newbury. This year, a check of veterans services offices showed that there were no veterans identified as homeless.
Feehan said those encouraging numbers lend more evidence that the state’s recent push to find housing for veterans has been a success.
“What that tells me is the push for veterans has made a big impact. What the numbers also tell me is that there is still a huge need and the numbers from the school are still staggering,” Feehan said.

YWCA leads search to count area's homeless

By Dave Rogers Staff Writer 
  The Daily News of Newburyport Thu Jan 30, 2014, 03:00 AM EST

NEWBURYPORT — Only a month in, winter has featured day after day of relentless cold and numerous snowstorms. It has made even the most hearty New Englanders grumble and grouse about the return of spring and how they are looking forward to getting out of the cold and back to their warm homes.
But for the region’s homeless, the options are far less appealing. For them, the best that awaits them may be a canvas tent pitched in the middle of an overgrown field or, if they’re lucky, a night in an area motel room. Despite Newburyport’s status as an affluent community, there is not a single shelter bed within the city limits or the entire area. The closest shelter, according to YWCA Greater Newburyport executive director John Feehan, is Haverhill.
Yesterday, volunteers assembled by the Newburyport YWCA conducted a comprehensive survey of the area’s homeless population. In addition to calling area hotels and speaking to regional aid providers and school districts, volunteers visited six areas in Newburyport and Newbury known to the Salvation Army and local police as places where the homeless might be living. The teams, which included YWCA board members and Mayor Donna Holaday, joined Feehan in the search.
Last year, the survey identified 76 individuals, including five children, in Newburyport, Amesbury, Salisbury, Newbury and Rowley who were considered homeless. Of those, 45 were found in Salisbury, 17 in Amesbury and 12 in Newburyport.
Feeney said this year’s results, which were not complete as of last night, could benefit area agencies that provide assistance to struggling families and also act as a catalyst for additional housing for families or displaced teens.
The definition of homelessness, the lack of a permanent dwelling meant for human habitation, may come as a surprise to some, as it’s more than just a person living out in the elements. It includes anyone living in hotels, those couch surfing with friends and even multiple families living in an apartment legally intended for one family because the additional families are at risk of eviction if discovered.
In conducting the survey, organizers are hoping to accomplish multiple goals: raise awareness of the plight of the homeless and make the case for additional resources to help those in need.
Last September, the Greater Newburyport YWCA opened its recently renovated 10-unit affordable housing apartment complex on the corner of Pleasant and Market streets. The units, which are all filled, are occupied by the disabled and the homeless. Despite the success of the apartment complex, the need for more is real. Surveys such as the one conducted yesterday are vital in helping the cause of providing more housing, according to Feehan.
As part of their count yesterday, volunteers called area hotels and asked owners or managers for all the information they would provide. Some managers were cooperative in giving volunteers exact numbers; others, including one in Salisbury, said there were no homeless people living there, the explanation being that some of the guests are spouses in the middle of a divorce. Volunteers also called veterans services providers in multiple communities to determine how many of the homeless served in the country’s armed forces.
Last year a count of homeless veterans identified five in Amesbury and two in Newburyport. This year, a check of veterans services offices showed that there were no veterans identified as homeless.
Around 4:15 p.m. yesterday, Lauren Petty of Newburyport and Jill Brien of Groveland drove down Storey Avenue to their assigned location, one of six identified as where the homeless might be staying.
Petty said last year’s survey really opened her eyes to how great the problem of homelessness was in communities that seemed well off.
“The results were shocking,” Petty said.
Once at their destination, Petty and Brien began peering through dense brush hoping to quickly spot the location. A few minutes later the two began walking down a slight hill, pushing away branches and balancing on iced-over snow. It didn’t take Petty and Brien long to find what they had been looking for: the remains of a blue tent strapped to a tree.
Scattered around the tree were rusted cans, a stuffed puppy doll, a yellow pillow, a beer can and a frozen bottle of peanut butter. The two ladies quickly came to the conclusion that whoever was staying there had abandoned the camp and moved elsewhere. After completing their survey, Petty and Brien drove back to the YWCA and began comparing information with other volunteers who had returned.
One team found an active encampment in another area of the city that included a four-person tent, a smaller tent with camping gear around it and a bicycle. One of the three volunteers tapped on the tent to see if it was occupied. But as it turned out, no one was home.

Link to article: http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x651202681/YWCA-leads-search-to-count-areas-homeless