While the signs of local homelessness may not be as apparent as on many of Austin’s street corners, that doesn’t mean there aren’t those in Bastrop County who find themselves living without a roof over their heads or a source of income.
For Lynda Eichorst and other members of the Celebration Community Church, such a fact has become more than clear since the establishment last August of Celebration Recovery House, Bastrop County’s sole homeless shelter.
After opening with a three-bedroom mobile home capable of sleeping nine persons, the Celebration Recovery House has seen a steady in crease in demand and subsequent expansion of beds – the most recent of which is a new trailer set to open this week that will allow for a total capacity of 21 persons.
Eichorst, who serves as the shelter’s director, says the growth is just another indication of homelessness being an issue that often flies by under the radar.
“It (homelessness) is growing,” Eichorst said. “A lot of our residents suffer from abuse of one kind or another or have been hit hard by the economy. We have one lady with a masters degree who recently lost her job. A lot of people, when they think of homelessness, they think of a dirty man with a beard sitting on the corner but with a lot of people it’s totally the opposite.”
Like the initial mobile home and the rest of beds and furniture found at Celebration House, the new trailer about to open was donated. Although initially in poor condition, it has been extensively renovated in recent weeks by residents of the shelter experienced in carpentry and construction skills. Eichorst says all residents who stay at Celebration Recovery House are required to perform some type of task or chore, a rule not only contributing to the sustainability of the shelter itself but to the confidence of residents seeking work in a tough job market. In turn, Eichorst and other volunteers assist in providing transportation from Celebration’s rural home off Texas 95 to Bastrop, Elgin or nearby locations.
“Whether it’s taking them to the Texas Workforce Alliance or to pick up food stamps we assist with transportation,” Eichorst said. “Whatever they need to move forward we are going to help them with it.”
Eichorst stresses the “moving forward” portion of Celebration’s mission is especially important. Each week, for example, staff members meet with individual residents to obtain updates on their personal well-being and employment prospects. Although the shelter’s inhabitants are given a limit of 30-days stay to get housing and jobs sorted, they may request an extension if at the end of their month they are not prepared to leave. Beyond the homeless population, Celebration House is also used as an emergency shelter as needed by the county’s emergency response team in times of natural disasters. Eichorst says the shelter is currently seeking more donations of box springs and mattresses and encourages any local person or business interested in helping to contact the church. Food donations, however, are perhaps most important to Celebration Recovery House on a day to day basis and according to Eichorst have thus far been generously provided by Schlotzky’s and Billy’s BBQ.
Those who want to contribute donations to the Celebration Recovery House can do so by contacting Eichorst at (512) 988-0012 or emailing her at Lynda@celebrationbastrop.org.