LORAIN — Community members in Lorain will be able to keep dry during Northeast Ohio weather storms. Councilwoman JoAnn Moon and the Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority teamed up to give umbrellas to homeless shelters and nonprofit organizations in Lorain.
“The homeless shelters mostly just feed them, and sometimes people drop off socks or T-shirts. But when they close and the homeless leave at eight o'clock in the morning, they're outside all day long. And they’re walking in the rain, and I just didn't like seeing that,” said Moon.
Judith Carlin is the executive director at Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority. She says together they have given over 300 umbrellas to the Lorain community.
“This is a challenged community and when you're paying for your necessities, groceries, clothing an umbrella is a luxury. However, JoAnn is the eyes of this community and understands the community she serves,” said Carlin.
Rose’s Faith Adult Home is one of the organizations that received umbrellas. The organization fosters homeless veterans and people with mental disabilities.
Bruce Matthews is the founder of Rose’s Faith; he says when he walks around the neighborhood he sees an alarming number of homeless veterans.
“A lot of people don’t respect homeless veterans anymore. People think because you're homeless you might rape them, but that's not true. Or you might steal from them, but that’s not true either,” said Mathews.
He says homeless people in Lorain are usually judged before they are helped.
“Homeless veterans and people with minor mental issues deserve a chance to deserve housing, they need someone to look after them,” said Mathews.
Alvin Nelson manages Rose’s Faith. He says none of the people living in the house owned an umbrella, and they were going on walks to the store or around the neighborhoods in the rain without the proper gear.
“When I gave the veterans their umbrellas, they were ecstatic, they were happy, and it was like watching a kid in the candy store. Then, later, they utilized them and haven’t stopped since,” said Nelson.
Darrel Davis is an army vet, and before he came to live at Rose’s Faith, he lived with his brother.
“My brother died, he fed me well, but he never gave me money,” said Davis.
Davis spends a lot of his time walking to the local store, rain or shine, with only a sweatshirt to keep him somewhat dry, but now that he has an umbrella, he says rain does not get to him anymore.
