NEWS RELEASE October 7, 2008

EXPANDED FACILITIES OPEN

Expanded restroom, shower and laundry facilities were officially opened today with a ribbon-cutting at Washington Street Mission. Springfield mayor Tim Davlin participated in the ribbon-cutting, expressing appreciation for the Mission's contributions to addressing the issues of homelessness in the city.

The expanded facilites will serve people who visit the Mission during its morning neighborhood coffee hours. Many of these people are homeless, stay in emergency shelters, or are marginally housed in less than ideal circumstances. The Mission serves coffee and doughnuts each weekday morning from 7:00 AM. to 11:00 A.M. without charge.

Adequate facilities for showers and laundry are often unavailable to individuals and families who are experiencing a housing crisis. These needs are being addressed by the Mission in connection with the city's recalibration of its ten-year plan to end homelessness.

Since extending its hours last October, the Mission has served an average of about 120 people each day. With the large number of people being served, the need for expanded restroom, shower and laundry facilities became obvious, but the Mission had been considering the expansion for several years.

The availability of day center resources at the Mission will continue to grow and develop with the operation of the expanded restroom, shower and laundry facilities. Staff from the community mental health center and other agencies regularly visit the Mission to contact individuals in need of their services. job training and placement services are also being expanded in cooperation with the Salvation Army; the state's employment and training center, and other agencies.

The Mission's new shower and laundry facilities will be especially valuable for individuals who need to prepare for employment. Personal hygiene issues and the loss of self-confidence can be significant barriers to employment and to recovery from crisis.

With the anticipated reopening of the seasonal overflow shelter in November, the expanded facilities at the Mission are expected to be particularly in demand. Individuals and families who will be served by the shelter will be directed to the Mission for these services during the morning hours.

The Mission recognizes that its expanded facilities will not provide the entire scope of day center resources that many advocates for homeless people in Springfield say is needed. For the Mission the expanded facilities are simply the next right step forward:

The Mission's neighborhood coffee hour is designed to provide a peaceful and helpful atmosphere for people who are struggling with daily life, people who often have no other place to go. Christian resources, personal conversations, and referrals to other services are provided to direct people toward opportunities that meet their spiritual and physical needs.

The Mission provides overnight shelter for only a very limited number of men in its transition house program, but works closely with other agencies in the city that provide shelter, including Helping Hands, Contact Ministries and Inner-City Mission.

Although final figures are not yet available, the Mission expects the final cost for construction of the expanded facilities to total about $65,000. No government funds or other grants were used in the project or in any of the operations of the Mission. All of the costs will be covered by donations to the Mission from individuals, churches and businesses.

The general contractor for the project was Bob Waller Construction. Heavy-duty commercial washers and dryers were provided to the Mission at cost by Henry's Washer Service. Construction work began in May. As the final step in the project, the laundry equipment was installed last week.

Background information on Washington Street Mission is available at www.wsmission.org.

Photos of construction progress are also available in digital format for press use.

Contact: Kenneth E. Mitchell, Executive Director