Youth in the City

Murrysville church's youths lend hands to homeless

By Maryann Gogniat Eidemiller
FOR THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, February 23, 2007

When the nights turn bitter and it's too cold to sleep in doorways and abandoned buildings, some of the homeless people who live on the streets in downtown Pittsburgh check into the Severe Weather Emergency Shelter set up in the gym of the Smithfield United Methodist Church.
On many nights, they'll find that the hot food is dished out by a handful of volunteers from Mother of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church in Murrysville, who also distribute clothing to help them stay warm.
The church's ministry to the homeless began about two years ago as an offshoot of the parish's Mother Teresa Outreach when Santos Hernandez, past chairman of its financial committee, heard about the shelter's needs.
"Our pastor, Monsignor Richard Curci, wants us to get out there to serve, to do charitable works, and I'm focusing on trying to get our young people involved," he said.
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Hernandez is the group's chaperone. His son, Matthew, 18, is the teen coordinator of the volunteers who include his brother, Michael, 16, and several other teenagers from the parish. In addition to working at the shelter, the youths have an ongoing collection for warm clothing and hygiene products, which they pass out to the homeless. At the shelter, they also help to serve food donated by local food banks, churches and restaurants, and clean up the facility.
"They are a tremendous help to us," said program director Linda Sheets, who considers them one of their primary groups of volunteers.
The shelter, which is open on nights when the temperature dips below 20 degrees, is part of Operation Safety Net through the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System. The church gym has kitchen and shower facilities, and on-site medical and mental health clinics staffed by professionals who donate their time. The men sleep on the floor with blankets, and the women are sent to another location to sleep.
Up to 150 men and women of all ages seek refuge on the nights when the shelter is open. Otherwise, they may be sleeping in doorways, alleys, under bridges and in abandoned buildings. Some of them are turned away from other shelters that are open every night because those shelters are full, or the homeless have used up their allotted times there.
There are many reasons why people become homeless, Sheets said. They may be substance abusers, mentally ill or just unlucky, who for various reasons have lost everything and have no one to turn to.
"They kind of get lost," she said.
Chris Murawski, 19, a senior at Franklin Regional High School, noted that some of the homeless aren't much older than he is.
"It can happen to anybody," he said. "There are women who get beaten and raped, and men with such problems in life that they ended up on the street. You just can't look at them as just somebody who won't work."
Matt Hernandez, also a senior at Franklin Regional High School, was surprised that the homeless are so outgoing and eager to talk to them.
"I thought they would be kind of shy," he said, "but they are really nice people with needs just like you and me."
Michael Hernandez, a junior at the high school, took classmate Kari Lavellee to volunteer on a recent weekend.
"There are so many people in need in Pittsburgh, which is so close to us," he said. "We can really make a difference."
Santos Hernandez calls volunteering at the shelter "a reality check" for those who give their time. It's an opportunity, he said, to appreciate what you have.
"The homeless have to stay outside through the day, and sometimes they don't have anything until they get back into the shelter," he said. "I saw one guy go back for five helpings of food. They are just storing up. It's a tough situation."
Matthew and Michael Hernandez are in charge of collecting clothes and hygiene products to distribute at the shelter. Call them at 724-733-0614, or drop off donations at Mother of Sorrows Church, Old William Penn Highway, Murrysville. Among the items needed for men and women: shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, coats, hats, gloves, socks, boots, hooded sweatshirts and thermal underwear.