To the editor:

On behalf of the Coalition Against Poverty in Suffolk (CAPS), we would like to thank every church, organization and individual that participated in our 2018-19 season of our CAPS Night Stay Winter Shelter Program for the homeless.

CAPS started the Night Stay Program as a rotating shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness during winter months. Suffolk churches come together to host homeless guests and provide food, shelter and safety during the coldest months of the year. The site of the program rotates among host churches on a weekly basis. CAPS works with these individuals to help them find long-term housing and financial stability.

We would like to thank the following churches for hosting or co-hosting with other churches:  Bethlehem Christian Church (Holland Road), Community Church, Covenant Community Church, CrossPointe Church,  Family Harvest Church, First Baptist Church (Main Street), Holland Baptist Church, James River Community Church, Liberty Spring Christian Church, Magnolia United Methodist Church, Main Street United Methodist Church, Oakland Christian UCC, Riverbend  Church, Somerton Friends, Southside Baptist Church, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Suffolk Christian Church, Village Christian Fellowship, West End Baptist Church and Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church.

We had more than 50 churches or organizations that provided transportation; overnight volunteers; served food; provided services such as haircuts, dental services, medical checks and legal services; or donated needed supplies during the season, and we are grateful to every one of them.

A special thank you to the Suffolk Police Department for their dedication to our program; and to Suffolk Quality Cleaners, Master Cleaners and East End Laundromat for the weekly cleaning of our blankets throughout the entire Night Stay season.

Together, we served 116 different homeless individuals from our community, including 26 children, with a total of more than 1,700 nightly stays, and served more than 5,000 meals for a period of 18 weeks.

If you would like more information on hosting or getting your church involved, please contact our Night Stay Administrator at 286-9126 or email nightstay@capsuffolk.org.

Cheryl Griffin

Night Stay Administrator