Harrington Hall Shelter Sees Record Need During Record Cold

CRANSTON, RI—With record cold temperatures dipping below zero, homeless shelters in Rhode Island saw record numbers of people.

At Harrington Hall in Cranston, the largest shelter in Rhode Island, 103 men sought shelter on Saturday and 101 came to the shelter by 6:30 p.m. and the staff there was expecting even more before the night was over.

“No one should be out in the cold” said Executive Director of House of Hope CDC, Jean Johnson. “On nights like last night, there is no way we can turn anyone away without an alternative place for them to go. Preventing and ending homelessness is something we work towards every day but on nights like last night we’re preventing more immediate threats like Hypothermia.”

The shelter was also open longer in the morning. Normally, check-out time is 7 a.m. but on Sunday, both Harrington Hall and House of Hope Community Development Corporation’s other shelter at St. Paul’s Church in Pawtucket were kept open a bit later in the morning and residents took advantage of breakfast, fruit, granola and coffee. Lunch was also served later in the day.

“When other shelters are maxed out, they bus those individuals to Harrington Hall whether there is room for them or not. We have never turned anyone away. Everyone deserves to have a roof over their head, especially on a cold winter night” said Christine Foisy, Operations Director for House of Hope CDC.”