Going green is reaching all aspects of society. The other day, I read about a few homeless shelters that are going green.
One of the shelters is in East Oakland, Calif. Crossroads is a new shelter that is being built with “being green” in mind. While most homeless shelters are created from old warehouses and churches, this shelter will have solar panels in the roof, non-toxic paint, hydronic heating, ceiling fans, and pressed wheat furniture. Residents will have places to secure their personal belongings with storage built into each bed. There will also be a day room with computer equipment, an infirmary and examining room, and even a dorm room and bathroom for a transgender resident and a wing for homeless families.
The executive director of the project to build Crossroads, Wendy Jackson, had a hard time convincing people that the shelter should be green. Her argument was that her residents, many who suffer from HIV or diabetes, needed a healthy environment to thrive. It took Jackson seven years to raise enough money to get the $11 million center built.
The new facility will be able to hold 125 residents, people who are used to rundown facilities with broken, dirty fixtures and inadequate heating. Paul McClendon, a 55 year old homeless man who will soon be moving into Crossroads likes that the shelter will be green. “It has respect for the environment, global warming, and saving trees.” There are approximately 3,000 homeless people in Oakland and the lucky few are only waiting for the beds to be delivered to Crossroads before they can move in.
The acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, Michael Stoops, thinks that Crossroads will help serve as a “model” for green homeless shelters all over the country. Of Crossroads, Stoops said, “If they can be part of a facility that is reducing energy costs and saving the planet, homeless folks are all in favor of that, just like most Americans.”
I think the board chairman of the project, Dr. Mini Swift, put it best when she said, “This is the intersection of environmental and social justice issues.”
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“24” Is Going Green
Green Ways to Winterize Your Home – Part 1
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