WORCESTER—The former Registry of Motor Vehicles on Main Street in Worcester has averaged 50 to 60 guests a night since it began operating as an emergency winter shelter on Dec. 12, according to Southern Middlesex Opportunity Council Chief of Staff Tania Diduca.
The RMV building at 611 Main St., which SMOC has dubbed the Restore Motivate Validate Shelter, “has been working out really well,” according to Diduca.
The RMV shelter has a 60-bed capacity and has not exceeded that capacity since opening, Diduca told the Worcester Guardian. Queen Street Shelter, which is also run by SMOC, has averaged 110 people per night according to Diduca.
Queen Street has 50 beds, but doesn’t turn anyone away, Diduca said. When the beds are at capacity, those in need are offered a mat with a built-in pillow and a sheet and blanket set, according to Diduca.
At the RMV shelter, “there is now a TV, a bookshelf filled with books donated by the library and board games, and ample congregate seating space where guests can eat their meals and socialize,” Diduca said. “As we had hoped, the interior and exterior design of the shelter has allowed for a safe and comfortable environment for guests.”
Last year, the city’s emergency winter shelter was located in Blessed Sacrament Church and run by Open Sky Community Services. Many local residents were vocal in their opposition to having the shelter in their neighborhood, raising safety concerns as well as questioning the city’s communication about its plans, Worcester Patch reported.
This year, the city worked with the state to find a new location for its emergency winter shelter and landed on the former RMV space, signing a lease on Nov. 22.
Since opening, the shelter has established a daily schedule for meals and made sure guests can access support services and get to any appointments, according to Diduca.
“We have been fortunate to have dinners and meals provided on a regular basis for guests at the RMV,” Diduca said.
On Christmas, a dinner was prepared at Queen Street Shelter and meals prepared there were delivered to the MLK and RMV shelters, according to Diduca. RMV shelter guests were also provided with musical entertainment that included singing holiday songs, Diduca said.
The shelter is stocked with toiletries and food, but Diduca said it can always use socks, undergarments and feminine hygiene products, and anticipates it will need additional winter items such as gloves, hats, and coats.
The ultimate goal is to find individuals who are staying at the shelter housing, according to Diduca, and so far one person who used the shelter has gotten that. The individual moved into “A Place to Live” on Lewis Street, a 24-unit building of permanent supportive housing run by the Worcester Housing Authority.
It’s possible the individual started working on a housing plan before staying at the RMV, Diduca said. When individuals have already connected to case management services Diduca said SMOC works to make sure those services continue.
Kiernan Dunlop is an award-winning journalist who has spent the past five years reporting in Worcester, New Bedford, and Antigua and Barbuda. Her work has been published in Bloomberg, USA Today, Canary Media, MassLive, and the New Bedford Standard Times, among other outlets. She can be contacted at kdunlop@theworcesterguardian.org
