RENEE SOGUECO ‘DOAH MANAGING EDITOR
Winchester Rescue Mission plays a crucial role in the local community for some of the less fortunate. Located on 435 N Cameron Street, volunteers at the organization serve 18-year-old or older men without provisions and who seek support. As a private and non-profit program, the mission provides a “place to stay, to get warm and sober up for 16 nights a month,” according to VirginiaNavigator.org. With addiction recovery programs, Bible studies, counseling and food distribution, those with so- briety issues have a place to improve themselves without worrying about outside influences.
It began with Morgan Whitaker in 1973 when he opened the shelter. While the program is Biblically based, Winchester Rescue Mission opens its doors to all male citizens looking for help. Intake of new program participants are done by a coordinator and are done every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fri- day from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., according to the Winchester Rescue Mission’s website. There are four specific programs that men are placed in. With such an organization, the Winchester community looks forward to lowering the homeless population.
Business hours at the Winchester Rescue Mission run from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m., and the website, http://win- chesterescue.org/, explains more of what the organization does.
Shenandoah University also works to spread awareness on campus and amongst students to the homeless in Winchester. The Night in a Box project is for the Winchester Temporary Thermal Shelter (WATTS), another non-profit organization that provides shelter for homeless individuals. Students are holding the fundraiser, held on Nov. 6 in the Brandt Student Center, so that during the actual Night in a Box event, they have items in order to survive the night. The event runs for a full 12 hours starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7.; students volunteer and brave the cold in their own cardboard boxes.
All S.U. students can contribute during the event by either signing up or purchasing items for those participating. Participants can only start with a T-shirt, shorts, a water bottle and shoes; by donating money to a specific participant, they are able to use other items. Specific items with the allotted amount are listed on the Night in a Box event Facebook page.
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