With cold weather on the way, local nonprofit HOPE is turning its thoughts to the streets and is looking for volunteers to join in its efforts to ensure those who call them home every night are safe.
“HOPE, Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement, started because some people froze to death, died of exposure. And that’s the need really, making sure that those people that are sleeping outside have the supplies they need to stay warm and safe. At that end of the day that is our ultimate goal here,” said Andy Schwartz, HOPE outreach and volunteer manager.
HOPE has both day and evening outreach programs to connect people with services and supplies, with the seasonal evening program launching as the weather turns colder and the needs of people living on the streets increase.
The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the need for HOPE’s services, Schwartz said. “Especially with COVID, we are seeing an increase of people (sleeping) outside, so I think there is a greater need,” he said.
The evening program, HOPE Fall and Winter Evening Outreach, is volunteer-led. Volunteers can sign up with a partner for shifts each week or month. Shifts begin at 5:30 p.m. and last 90 minutes to two hours.
Teams of two volunteers go out in HOPE vehicles looking for individuals on the street who need food, clothing, blankets and water.
Volunteers also are supplied with information to hand out so individuals can connect with resources to meet their needs, including emergency shelters where they can stay on really cold nights.
HOPE does not provide transportation to emergency shelters because of the lack of space in the supply vehicles, Schwartz said.
Safety is a top priority for HOPE, as it wants everyone, including volunteers, to feel safe. Volunteers only go out in teams and police are notified when they are on the streets, Schwartz said. The evening outreach program is the only HOPE program that requires volunteer training, he added.
“People get nervous about doing this. I would say almost everybody that we run across is very appreciative of the work, of having somebody coming out and looking out for them. ... This will be my fourth winter doing this and I can only think of two incidents that made a volunteer uncomfortable,” Schwartz said.
Stuart Snow, HOPE board member and outreach volunteer, has spent the past six years volunteering for the evening outreach program.
Snow moved to Longmont after retiring and started looking for a cause to which he could dedicate his time. He travels often to see family so a flexible schedule was important to him. He was drawn to HOPE because of his desire to help a vulnerable section of Longmont’s population.
“I didn’t really know much about the homeless population and I probably had some preconceived ideas, but (HOPE) had a good orientation. … I think that a lot of the things that I believed about why people were homeless weren't accurate,” Snow said. “I don’t really worry about going out and seeing anybody because I’ve never encountered a problem with anybody. It’s been a real positive experience for me.”
Schwartz said, “Most of the time, when you talk to (people experiencing homelessness), you just find out they are everyday people who ran into a situation or an incident in their life that sort of pulled the rug out from under them and they have a hard time getting back on their feet. It blasts away people’s stereotypes pretty quickly.”
Schwartz encourages people to volunteer with their friends, family or even a significant other to make the partnership needed for the work easier.
"I love when couples do this together or two friends do this together. My wife and I have had a few date nights out doing outreach. I’ve dragged her along with me. We have some couples who do this together which is great. They look at this as a time to connect, as you get a lot of time in the car with another person…,” Schwartz said.
For Snow the work to help people survive cold nights has been personally rewarding. He said he especially likes it when he can help someone who is new to being homeless get a few supplies and resources to make it through winter nights.
“Sometimes you run into people who are kind of fresh in the homeless environment and are worried and don’t have anything prepared. If you can give them a blanket or a sleeping bag and a few things and then some encouragement, maybe about services, they get some hope that maybe things will be OK. Those are kind of the moments that ... are the most satisfying,” Snow said.
HOPE is recruiting volunteers to help with evening outreach efforts and is asking interested parties to choose a day or days of the month they can help, such as every third Sunday. Volunteers interested in the program can email Schwartz at [email protected] or call at 720-494-4673, ext. 104.
In addition to volunteering, HOPE urges anyone who sees an individual in need to contact HOPE at 720-494-4673 or to call the Longmont Police Department 303-651-8555 to conduct a wellness check. Schwartz also suggested asking the individual what their needs are and helping by offering a blanket or food if possible.
“The best thing for people to do is not to just drive by, but to take any action, even if it is small,” he said. “You may just really save a life.”
