Letter to the Editor: Jan Peek House Left in the Dark

Jan Peek House (a homeless shelter in Peekskill that is operated by Caring for the Homeless of Peekskill, Inc (CHOP).) has been without power since Saturday evening during the snowstorm when a utility pole holding a large transformer snapped and crashed to the ground on N. Water Street in front of the shelter. Numerous calls to 911 went unanswered until the following day, when the fire department placed police tape across the area to block passage.  Hazmat units were dispatched later in the day on Sunday to clean up the hazardous material that had leaked from the transformer. More tape was placed across the area containing the downed electrical wires, tree branches and utility pole. ConEd still has been unable to dispatch repair crews to the scene.  The area remains dangerous, with fallen electrical wires and tree branches blocking the roadway and we are unable to determine when ConEd will be able to make repairs.

In the meantime, our residents and staff waited out the weekend in the cold and dark, making the best of the situation. We delivered coffee and donuts to them early Sunday morning, and we arranged for a local vendor to deliver hot meals on Sunday and Monday. 

By Monday evening, all arrangements had been made with area shelters and Westchester County Department of Social Services to "dislocate" our people to Open Arms Shelter and Samaritan House, both operated by Grace Church Community Center in White Plains. 

Many of the residents did not want to leave the area, making arrangements instead to stay close to family.  For example, one resident has an elderly mother living in Peekskill who needs his care. Another attends an area day program that he needs to attend consistently. A third recently completed a home health aide training course and has secured local employment. Without a car, she needs to remain close to her job.

Another larger concern is the safety of our emergency overnight drop-in homeless population. These clients are "outside" the system and are not connected to services. 

They are people who utilize the shelter on an emergency overnight basis because they cannot comply with the rules offered up by the county's Department of Social Services.  They could be veterans who suffer from PTSD, or elderly people with mental health issues.  Without the option of sleeping at Jan Peek's emergency drop-in facility, I am not sure where these folks have landed.   
 
CHOP, whose mission is to alleviate both hunger and homelessness in the community, employs thirty-five people.  The staff is very dedicated to its mission to feed and shelter people who are either low-income or homeless. Lately, business has been booming in its programs: Jan Peek House shelter for the homeless, Fred's Pantry at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, and Sunny Donut Breakfast Program at Salvation Army.

The organization spends a sizable amount of money in the community, buying goods and services from local vendors, and it helps the city by servicing the needs of its most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly and infirm, children and the disabled. Our breakfast program serves more than 16,000 breakfasts each year and Fred's Pantry distributes food to an average of 125 families each Saturday.  Fred's Pantry has more than 3400 families in its database and the numbers grow each week as new families register for food.

Most of CHOP's staff is per diem, meaning that they are 'on-call' to work their shifts.  Unlike exempt employees who are paid a salary, per diem workers simply get paid for the actual hours they work.  With the closure of Jan Peek House, people are not earning the wages they need to pay their bills.  In this economy, it is unconscionable to deny 35 workers the ability to work and earn their paychecks.

We are unsure when the power will be restored. We were told Wednesday, but Wednesday came and went. The city has told us that ConEd's  focus is on getting power back to the homes that have people living in them without heat and lights.

I remind people that Jan Peek House IS a home where people actually live, and who have also lost lights and heat. Their needs are not less than others' in the area.  Our residents don't necessarily have family or friends they can stay with.  They can't afford a motel room. They don't have memberships to health clubs where they can shower. They don't have neighbors who can help them out. We need to act as good neighbors to the homeless population. 

The fact that Jan Peek House is at the bottom of the list for power restoration speaks to the greater societal ills we face---the same old story that the needs and desires of those with money and possessions take precedence over those with little or none.

It is uncertain who makes the decisions as to what areas get restored first, but whoever it is has underestimated the importance of the role that CHOP plays in the Peekskill-Cortlandt area.  Our role is to help people in need, to shelter people from the elements.  It is a shame that Jan Peek House was without power during a time when it should have remained open to service those who needed food and shelter. Jan Peek House should have been at the top to the list for restoration so that we could have been able to shelter others during their time of need.

Sincerely,
Jeanne Blum

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If you think you can help Jan Peek in some way please email Jeanne at jeanneblum@gmail.com.