It’s late morning on a Friday at the Central United Methodist Church in Ballston; volunteers of the congregation have been here since 6 a.m. preparing and serving their weekly breakfast for the homeless. Since the closing of the Emergency Winter Shelter (EWS) on April 1-- this is one of the few places in Arlington where the homeless are welcomed.

“Once the shelter shuts down, people don’t have any place to go,” noted Gee Johnson, a homeless man who has lived on the street off and on for the last three years. “The only places you can go are the library and the mall and they don’t want you hanging around.”

According to Solomon Abawi, a social worker with A-SPAN (Arlington Street People Assistance Network), once the shelter closes, life for this population becomes much more difficult. “There are issues with Arlington County and they come to us requesting blankets and sleeping bags—it’s just basic survival on the streets,” he said adding, “We’re called upon to find places and it’s so hard because of the lack of shelters in the area.”

Kathy Sibert, A-SPAN’s Executive Director concurs, “The big thing for me when the shelter closes is that we have no place for them to go.”  She added that it’s particularly distressing to know that of the nearly 70 people who walked out of the shelter on April 1, it’s been documented that many are graduates from Arlington high schools. 

Abawi is a permanent fixture at the Friday breakfast—it gives him an opportunity to interface with clients and provide much-needed help and support. “The homeless population know us and trust us and know we’re reliable to help them,” said Abawi. He added, “Having a year ‘round shelter will do wonders for this area.”

People need a safe place to sleep, regardless of the season, noted Abawi. A-SPAN’s mission is to secure permanent housing for this vulnerable population, through its outreach efforts. In addition to providing clothing and hygiene products, the agency also offers case management, mental health and substance abuse services, as well as employment assistance.

Johnson describes the challenges of looking for permanent employment when you’re living on the street. “You’re walking around all day looking for work but the only thing you can get is day labor,” he said adding, ‘“How are you going to go to a job interview carrying a bunch of bags with you?”

The breakfast program ends at noon. Johnson looks around at the 20 or so people who are still there-- sharing a hot meal, socializing and watching television. “You’ve got a lot of guys here who have lost their jobs—in the next hour when they shut down, where can they go?” he asks.

To learn more or to donate, visit www.a-span.org