Guilford Emergency Shelter Proves Valued Refuge and Resource to Many in Guilford

The Emergency Shelter at Guilford Community Center has proved to be a valuable resource for many in town who need a hot meal, a hot shower, or needed to be evacuated during Sandy's peak last night.

"We had about 73 residents stay over last night," Park and Rec director Rick Maynard told Guilford Patch Tuesday night. "And we have about 58 tonight. At our peak we probably had about 10 animals here as well."

"That's actually more than we saw during Irene," he added. "I think we capped out around 25 or so for last years storm."

The shelter saw a big jump in numbers during the second round of emergency evacuations that took place later last night, as Guilford was enduring a big blast from Sandy. "We took in about 25 people during that time," said Maynard.

"Today, we served about 60 people for breakfast, 100 for lunch, and about 150 for dinner," Maynard commented. "We've had 120 people check in for showers today as well. I've seen countless people come in and out to simply recharge their phones or computers or get some light to do some reading. We do have WiFi available so people are able to hop online and check the news as well."

Maynard was especially proud of and grateful for all of the volunteers that have helped out at the shelter. "The volunteers here have been absolutely phenomenal," he commented. "This would not have been possible without them, that is a fact. I think peoples character really comes out when we face challenges like this, and I have seen nothing but the best from our volunteers."

Last night, those staying at the shelter could be found working on their iPads, watching TV in the common area, or chatting at the front entrance. Most chatter involved questions about when power would be restored, or excitement about being able to return home soon. "Most people here, they just want to stay informed about what's going on," said Maynard. "They are very thankful for all the resources we can offer."

The Shelter will be open Wednesday, Oct. 31st. They will be serving breakfast from 7:30-10, lunch at noon, and dinner around 6.