TOWSON, Md. — For Phyllis Painter, finding a safe place during the day can be as challenging as finding somewhere to sleep at night.
Homeless for 12 years, she's found hope at Prologue's Outreach Center in Towson, a place that provides shelter during the day for people who need it most.
"They don't put you down," Painter says. "Because nobody should go through this and nobody should want to, either. They treat you like a person. If they have it, they'll give it to you. And if they don't, they'll tell you where to get help."
Painter is one of more than 2,500 people who are homeless in the Baltimore region. For many, traditional shelters only provide nighttime refuge.
Funding cut concerns grow for outreach center in Towson
"When you're at the shelter, if they give you a meal, you get a cot, you get breakfast, and then you're back out on the street," says Nikki Connelly, program director. "And many times, folks are walking all day. If they're not going to shelter, they're walking all night."
Prologue's Outreach Center is filling that critical gap, giving unhoused people a safe, clean place to be during the day. Here, clients can wash clothes, shower, use the computer, get a meal or simply rest.
"We hope that people find a sense of community here," Connelly says. "Filling out applications, working with case managers, resting, watching a little bit of TV, just a little bit of normalcy and dignity."
Anselm Taylor was being helped by Prologue's street outreach team until a reduction in county funding ended that program in July.
"It's a wonderful spot, right, you know. It's just that it's not enough of them," Taylor says. "There should be more of these, right. I come from Essex from a bus, right, to get here. I'm not the only one. There's a few of us that come across the city to get here."
Funding cuts are a growing concern for Connelly. With federal budget uncertainty, she worries about the ripple effects on vulnerable populations, including those who may be a paycheck away from homelessness.
"I have great fears about funding and furloughs and the government shutdown and how that trickles down," Connelly says. "I anticipate that the cuts will continue to happen and then if permanent supportive housing gets cut, we have a lot of folks who are going to end up returning to homelessness."
The outreach center is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
With the changing weather, they need warm clothing, accessories and new socks and underwear. For donation information, go here.
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