Trinity Wimberly-Mann, Intern
thefranklinpressnews@gmail.com
On Aug. 7, the Franklin Town Council approved a request to lease a vacant building on East Main Street for $1 per year and allot $10,000 to the nonprofit organization No Wrong Door to open a warming/cooling station for homeless people. The opening date has not been set yet, however if the renovations continue at the current pace it is expected to open sometime next month.
No Wrong Door Executive Director Sheila Jenkins discussed the idea of a warming/cooling station with the Town Council during its retreat in February. Jenkins said she saw the need for the homeless population to have a place where they can shower and wash clothes for job interviews, thus “giving them more opportunities.”
Jenkins said the shelter will be designed for the homeless to have access to showers, laundry machines, and act as a way for people in need to get out of extreme weather conditions. It will be open three days a week with the help of volunteers. If more people volunteer to manage the building, No Wrong Door would have the potential to open the station five days out of the week.
Jenkins also made it clear that, “this is not a place for people to just drop in and use. There will be registration and paperwork to sign up.” No Wrong Door will work directly with the homeless to see what they need and will be using case managers to address why they are homeless.
“The community and town have been very supportive,” Jenkins said. “If it was not for the lease agreement of $1 a year this would not be possible.”
No Wrong Door will assume responsibility for the electric utility bill, insuring the building, and any other needs above the $10,000 given by the town. The town will continue to provide water/sewer utility and HVAC maintenance.
Jenkins said, “There is no grant money for hygiene products needed to run the station. Donations would be appreciated.”
City council member Stacy Guffey agreed that the town is in need of a place with these types of accommodations.
Guffey said, “Local government has great potential to help the community, especially with the right partnerships and I am glad that the town staff got this in the works. With the partnership we have with No Wrong Door, we as a whole can address these issues. There isn’t a family in Franklin that has not had to deal with similar issues at some point.”
If you are interested in volunteering or contributing, contact No Wrong Door at 828-349-3366. You can visit their website at nowrongdoorwnc.org.