An organization in Winchester is working to get a new lease on life as they fundraise for a new building. The Beacon of Hope emergency shelter works to provide housing for individuals who are homeless in Winchester.
Tammy Goldy, CEO and owner of Pain to Purpose Behavioral Health and Therapy, which works with The Beacon of Hope to provide mental health services to those at the shelter, said their current capacity isn’t enough to keep up with demand.
“The homeless crisis in Kentucky is growing. As the drug epidemic grows, so does the homeless crisis and financial instability, times are just really hard. So, we stay at full capacity most of the time, and we need a bigger building so that we can house more people,” said Goldy.
Goldy said due to their limited capacity, sometimes they must turn away people who come to them for help. She said this only increases the strain on other resources in the community, making the work harder for everyone.
She said one of her organization’s main goals is helping homeless populations find structure and stability.
“It gives people hope and encouragement, that they can overcome hardships in life. Because a lot of people come in and they don’t even know basic life skills. So, when they get here, we teach them how to budget their money, how to pay their bills, and live a successful life,” said Goldy.
She said some individuals who come to the shelter do not have birth certificates or social security cards. Her organization works with them to acquire these documents along with useful life skills.
The Beacon of Hope shelter is renting the current facility they are located in. The plan is to construct and own outright the new facility, giving them more stability while increasing capacity.
Money for the new building has come from donations and various fundraising events. Goldy said they would like to be in their new building and operational before winter, but said they are aiming to open at least before next year.
To follow the journey and for information about future fundraising events, Goldy said the shelter’s Facebook page is the best source of information.