Cottonwood City Council unanimously approved a $12,000 grant to the Verde Valley Homeless Coalition, who hope to open a daytime drop-in center for the homeless in Cottonwood, during the council meeting June 19.
The planned resource center is expected to open on Wednesday, Aug. 1 — pending approval by the Planning and Zoning Committee on July 16 — on an empty piece of property at 14 S. Main St. The $12,000 grant will cover one year of rent for the facility and will be staffed by volunteers.
The center would provide homeless individuals in the Cottonwood area with a safe place to spend their time during the day, allowing people to come indoors during the heat of the summer or cold of winter. Patrons will be provided with computers, phones, laundry machines and other support infrastructure in the hopes of helping those seeking jobs or other support. VVHC hopes to furnish the space with donations from local secondhand stores and partnerships with other charities.
“Most of the homeless that I’ve come in contact with have no idea what the next great step is, so we’re hoping to give them that,” said Raena Avalon, executive director of VVHC. “And if you keep putting the next great steps together, you can achieve something.”
VVHC has existed since the late 1990s, but Avalon, who has spent much of her life working for soup kitchens and other nonprofits, took over in September. Until then, the group had been mostly focused on advocacy, but Avalon saw an opportunity to organize it as a 501(c)(3), set up a board and start taking donations to provide direct resources to the homeless community.
In December, VVHC opened a “35 and below” emergency shelter, which provides the homeless a place to sleep in the Yes the ARC cafeteria when the weather is cold enough to make sleeping outdoors dangerous. The coalition has partnered with Catholic Charities to provide a Front Door office, as a one-stop resource for those searching for housing. The group has also organized Project Connect events in the fall with other local charities like the Old Town Mission.
“The coalition has made great progress in such a short time, which is no surprise when you know the passion of the individuals that serve,” said Mayor Tim Elinski, who serves on the board of VVHC. Elinski recused himself from the vote on its grant approval at the City Council meeting. “I have no doubt the money will be put to good use in helping those vulnerable individuals in our community.”
To those who work with Cottonwood’s impoverished community, the VVHC drop-in center is a necessary addition in a town that often does not provide enough support to its most vulnerable.
“It gets so hot here, and we don’t think about that,” said Kellie Wilson, executive director of the Old Town Mission. “So it is pretty dangerous to be out in the weather. And if you’re homeless, nothing’s better than coming in and getting fresh clothes or washing your clothes, and just being able to come in out of the elements.”
In addition to the VVHC grant, City Council also approved $2,500 for Discing 4 Kids, a nonprofit from Flagstaff that organizes frisbee golf events after school for local children. The group said it hopes to start recruiting kids to the program in fall of 2018.
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
