Since she began volunteering one year ago, Erica Benson’s eyes were opened to a world she had never known - a world without welcome mats, milk and cookies after school and steady paychecks.
The linguistics graduate student volunteers at Haven House, 121 Whitehills Drive in Lansing, a shelter for homeless families.
Gov. John Engler designated Nov. 11-17 Homeless Awareness Week to show support for areas such as Lansing, where shelters serve from 225 to 300 homeless adults and children each night.
Benson said she enjoys helping each of the seven families living at Haven House get back to a more comfortable lifestyle.
“I don’t think students realize it’s a problem at all,” she said. “It’s not visible in our community because we have so many resources, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a problem.
“It’s impressive to see families being kept together. We’ve been full since I got here - I never realized how many were in need.”
Beverly Wiener, director of Haven House, said the week might draw attention to a problem people forgot about during years of economic success.
“It’s kind of gotten on the back burner,” Wiener said. “Most people thought the problem had gone away. People are working, but they’re working at low paying jobs. They’re not making enough to pay for homes or an emergency that might come up.”
But there are only so many extra beds available for homeless people, Wiener said. She recommends people try to contact friends or family who can help. Additional volunteers are always welcome at shelters to make it easier for homeless children, students and adults, she said.
“We hear about college students having problems, but they have the alternative among their friends,” she said. “It has to do with the student lifestyle and being willing to sleep on the floor. We need to look at how to make housing more affordable for everyone.”
A survey of 95 homeless service agencies by the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness said more than 90 percent of family shelters were full every night in April 2000 - one of the slowest times of year because of warm weather.
Although men’s shelters were reporting up to 111 percent occupancy rates each night, single mothers with children were the highest sector of the homeless population.
East Lansing police Lt. Kim Johnson said the city has about 10 regulars who police and local services try to help - but many people won’t accept.
“It’s a tough spot,” Johnson said. “Even the shelters have rules and regulations - they can’t be drinking or they have to be looking for a job. We try to facilitate anything we can do, but it’s a tough call because they might not want help.”
Deputy City Manager Jean Golden said homelessness is a problem in every community, from college towns to country towns. She said she hopes to see improvement in rehabilitation and treatment centers in the area.
“Most people are really only two or three paychecks from having real problems hanging onto their home,” Golden said. “Not everybody has a cushion of support.”
