This week, I wanted to use my column space to help get the word out about a couple of ongoing efforts in our local communities.
First, there is an increasing need for another emergency housing option somewhere nearby. The only one currently in operation in Whitley County is Emergency Christian Ministries in Williamsburg, and while they have been doing a great job, the reality is that they are operating with limited space and resources.
Side note: ECM is holding a benefit auction during next week’s Old Fashioned Trading Days festival in downtown Williamsburg. I believe they are still accepting donations for auction items, so if you have an item (or items) that you think could help their cause, I encourage you to get in touch and see if they could use what you have.
Getting back to my original point, there was another shelter facility located in London, but my understanding is that it recently closed its doors. It appears that efforts may be underway to try and re-open it, but only time will tell if they will be able to get the personnel in place to do so.
Aside from these facilities, the only other emergency housing option that I am currently aware of is operated by KCEOC Community Action Partnership in Gray.
Since I have spent quite a bit of time in recent months writing about homelessness and interviewing people who are trying to do something about it in our local area, I have had the opportunity to sit in on some discussions about the best way to approach the current lack of available emergency housing.
Without going into too much detail right now, I will just say that there is a small group of concerned individuals who are interested in exploring possible options for establishing a new emergency housing shelter. These individuals are from all different backgrounds, and have come together simply to see if there is a path forward to realistically get this done.
After the most recent meeting, it was decided that the next step in this process needs to be locating a site that could potentially be used to establish an emergency housing shelter. The site could have a structure, or structures, already on it, or it could just be land that is suitable for a new structure to be built on.
This site wouldn’t necessarily need to be huge, but there would need to be enough room to accommodate large groups of people and several vehicles at any given point in time. The idea is for the location to NOT be inside city limits, but if you get too remote that presents another set of potential issues. Basically, the idea is not to be right in downtown, but also to not be way out in the sticks somewhere.
If you or someone you know might have property that they would be willing to donate to this particular cause, then feel free to shoot me an e-mail at tsherman@corbinnewsjournal.com. I will get you in touch with the right people to discuss possible next steps.
• Another subject that I frequently write about is the ongoing efforts of the Corbin Rotary Club. The club does a lot during the course of a year to raise awareness about certain issues, raise funds for important causes, award scholarships to local students, and provide resources to those who are in need.
Last week, I attended the Corbin Rotary Club’s weekly meeting at David’s Steakhouse. The special guest speaker was Xandy Stewart out of Maysville, who is currently serving as district governor. In this role, he oversees operations in several different Rotary Clubs in the region, including Corbin.
Stewart spoke on a few different topics during his presentation, but one of the most important points that he wanted to get across was the fact that he would like to see more growth when it comes to the clubs in his district. This means the recruitment of new members to existing clubs, and also the formation of new clubs in communities where an active Rotary organization does not currently exist.
Specifically, Stewart said that he would like to see Rotary Clubs get re-established in both Barbourville and Williamsburg. Currently, clubs exist in Corbin and London.
I can say from experience that Rotary does a lot of good work in the towns where clubs exist. I would like to see Stewart’s wishes for growth become a reality, so again, feel free to reach out to me via e-mail if you’d like to learn more and I will get you in touch with the right people.
