Homelessness in Willimantic, CT

Katerina SvigosKate FarrishJOUR2001W-004Multimedia Project

The Willimantic Covenant Soup Kitchen is located on 220 Valley St in Willimantic. This soup kitchen is open Monday through Saturday and opens at 9:15-11:0am for breakfast

while lunch is from 12:15pm-1:00pm.

The soup kitchen depends on donations from society, volunteers and support. They have representatives from

Saint Paul’s Church who are full-time employees. They serve a hot breakfast 2-3 times a week and include fruit in every

meal..

Of the last year, the soup kitchen provided 14,057 meals for an average of 51 people. According to the Covenant Soup

Kitchen Services, their facility was open 299 days for breakfast alone.

When the weather gets too extreme, many of the homeless people will try and make it to the No Freeze Shelter, run by Lee Duffy. This shelter takes in as many people as they can, however it cannot fit everyone. “It is unfair that there aren’t

enough shelters because many people are left out,” case manager, Rodney Alexander said.

This shelter is a community founded coalition founded in 2003 and accepts those who are at least 18 years of age.

Many homeless people reside near Frog Pond, building their own homes which are donated from individuals in the

community.

Coming home to a, “burned down tent” is a great worry of many homeless people, they said.

In the don, piles of canned food and water are hidden away.

Garbage and unwanted equipment is disposed and left out for other people to use for their own likings.

The canned foods and objects found are stashed in carts and brought to their makeshift tents for use.

Of the approximate amount of 30 people who live in these makeshift tents, they all must share this plastic bag port-a-

potty.

Located near Frog Pond in Willimantic, homeless people strive for privacy and protection when there is not enough

room for them in shelters. “It gets really cold and you worry at night when you’re there,” Diekmann said.