Some men who roam will now have a place to hang their hats and to call “home”.
This is the promise of chairman of the National Assistance Board, Reverend Dr David Durant, who said some homeless men will soon have a 24-hour facility to learn skills so they can be reintegrated into the society.
Speaking at an opening ceremony of the Proute Seniors’ Recreation Activities Centre at the Faith Wesleyan Holiness Church, Jackman’s, St Michael, yesterday, Durant said the Clyde Gollop Centre served as a night shelter for men between 6:30 p.m. and morning.
“They can remain there during the day and be exposed to skills training and educational development. We want to be able to help them to reintegrate into the community by counselling and helping them to come back into a family orientation,” he said.
Durant said the NAB was making inroads into getting to a full-time operation, because the centre was now open on Sundays and bank holidays and on rainy days, and the men were allowed to stay in all day.
“If the rain is falling on [a] morning they do not have to leave . . . and they receive lunch. So they can be comfortable instead of going out into the rain as happened previously,” he said.
The chairman said the centre was full to capacity and had access for 34 men, but they plan to introduce another 35 to 40 capacity centre to provide room for others who cannot enter the current programme.
He also appealed to anyone who had a building available to offer it for the NAB’s use.
The 24-hour operation will include a drug rehabilitation, diet and exercise component. (LK)
