As soon as next week, Ontario County’s first emergency homeless shelter for families may begin helping those in need.
Family Promise of Ontario County and the Molly and Ed Shill Cares Foundation, which funded the purchase of the property and set their homelessness project forward, on May 8 hosted a grand opening of the extensively renovated Shill Family Center on North Main Street in Canandaigua. It comes more than a year after ground was broken at the site and more than two years after the plan was approved by the city.
Ed Shill called the opening a “monumental day” for Canandaigua and Ontario County and “truly transformational” for Family Promise and how it serves families because the center will begin addressing a real need in the community.
“This is way overdue for the people in our community who are just looking for a safe place to live,” Shill said during the opening ceremony.
Why is there a need for the Shill Family Center in Ontario County?
The center, which is in a restored cobblestone building that had been vacant for some time, will provide temporary shelter — short term is the operative term — and support services for up to seven families, or about 30 people, at a time.
Families are now being vetted, according to Todd Bernhardt, executive director of the nonprofit Family Promise of Ontario County, which works to prevent and end family homelessness.
And it’s not a moment too soon; Bernhardt said 24 families, or about 100 people, in the county on any given night may be in need of emergency shelter.
“The need is growing and it’s a problem,” Bernhardt said.
How will the Shill Family Center help Ontario County families?
The services provided at the center for families go beyond emergency shelter.
Families will be able to receive individualized case management, housing assistance, employment support, help with financial independence and other services designed to help them get back on their feet and living in their own homes.
“They deserve dignity,” Bernhardt said. “They deserve hope. I know we’re going to be able to make a difference to a lot of children and families for decades to come because of this.”
Hope is the theme at Shill Family Center in Canandaigua
State Sen. Pam Helming, R-Canandaigua, said the reality is that no family expects to find themselves in a situation where they need help, whether from job loss, illness, family emergency or in the case of one young family in Canandaigua, a devastating rain event that damaged their home.
“Family Promise stepped in when they needed that help the most and helped them get back on their feet,” said Helming, who added she is among the legislators in Albany working to make housing more affordable for people and families.
“Once people get back on their feet, they deserve that opportunity to put down their roots, to build a stable future and continue living in the home and the community they love,” Helming said.
The county now provides temporary housing for the homeless in hotels, but that is not ideal, said Phillip Personale, Ontario County commissioner of social services.
The Shill Family Center will offer people shelter as well as respect, opportunity and hope.
“It’s an amazing and incredible thing,” Personale said.
What’s next in Ontario County?
Molly Shill praised all who worked on this project and supported it in many different ways from the beginning.
“As the saying goes, we’re all just walking each other home,” Molly Shill said. “How lucky are we that we can help our neighbors in need.”
And many are still in need.
The Shill Cares Foundation and Family Promise partnership is not done yet as they’re looking to start a similar operation in Geneva, to walk even more people home. Ed Shill said a candle does not lose strength by lighting another candle.
“We need more candles,” Shill said. “We have a lot of heavy lifting to do.”
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. He can be reached at mmurphy@messengerpostmedia.com. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Ontario County opens first family homeless shelter
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
