PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The RESTORE Family Homeless Shelter is the only shelter of its kind in the city of Portsmouth.
The RESTORE Homeless shelter has 25 beds for intact families — “it can be mom/dad, it can be mom/sister/child — recently we had a lot of single dads come through, so that’s what we mean by family shelter,” said Symone Stewart, the crisis service and shelter manager.
The Help and Emergency Response or H.E.R. Shelter acquired the facility in September 2018 to address family homelessness in the community.
“Without this service, there would be no year-round emergency homeless shelter for the city of Portsmouth,” according to the shelter’s website.
The H.E.R. Shelter assists adult and child survivors of domestic violence in Portsmouth and Chesapeake. This year marks 40 years of service to survivors of intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual assault.
“Most people do not know much about the RESTORE Shelter. They think that we just have the HER domestic violence shelters,” Stewart said. “Recently, we had a lot of single dads come through. A lot of people have a perception that men can’t fall on hardships as well. It doesn’t matter what type of gender you are. … Anybody can fall through hard times, especially in this economy that we have going on right now and with rent going up and different things like that.”
Stewart has nearly a decade of experience as a housing advocate. She is also a certified housing specialist who often partners with Legal Aid and ForKids for further education workshops.
“We want people to know that we are out here,” Stewart said. “If they need help, they can come to us.”
In addition to providing shelter for families, shelter organizers also strive to educate clients about landlord-tenant rules.
To help raise awareness, Stewart is co-organizing a community event called Hoops for the Homeless from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9 at The Mount Portsmouth gymnasium at 900 Portsmouth Blvd. in Portsmouth. It’s a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and field day in which the kids can play games. Stewart describes it as a big community event — and there will be free ice cream.
“A lot of people think that you just have to come in shelters to get services, but you don’t,” Stewart said. “So, say if they need [help with] job searching or help with landlord issues and different things like that, then they can reach out to us.”
The Mount in Portsmouth partnered with the nonprofit for a family-friendly community day.
“It’s hoops for the homeless, but I really believe that we’re bringing hope to the community,” said Pastor Mike Roberts with The Mount Portsmouth. “And that’s the main thing I want to focus on. The vessel is the tournament, but we’re actually bringing hope, and we’re bringing awareness to an organization that is out doing the work. They’re serving our community, and that’s what I believe God calls us to do.”
Roberts, a Portsmouth native, has been leading the church for about a year.
“I grew up in a redevelopment housing area, an area that’s very well-known in the city,” Roberts said. “It was called J. Dub or Jeffrey Wilson. … It’s a pleasure to be able to give back [to] a city that’s given so much to me.”
The deadline to sign up for the event is Wednesday, Aug. 6:
- 24 teams to register for 3-on-3 basketball tournament ($100 for five players)
- Small businesses to sponsor the event ($100-$1,000, depending on sponsorship package)
- Donations of hygiene products and cleaning supplies
Roberts said he wants to see the community step up, but he said it’s up to the church to step up as well.
“I would like to see the community step up,” Roberts said. “When there is a need in the community, what would Jesus do? Would he pass over it? Would he look over it? Would he be aware and not do anything? So I think it’s a call on us as a ministry to help cover, care and connect with the community.”
Roberts challenges residents “to help make it happen, to meet the need.”
“There are people that you see every day that you wouldn’t even imagine, to know that they are homeless,” Roberts said. “… You just never know what a person is facing, or a family is facing, and what resources they need, so I think [it’s about] the awareness, and then I found out that they’re the only family homeless shelter that’s in the city, and a lot of times it’s not one person. It’s three, four, five, six, seven, eight people, and to have somewhere to go where they can feel safe, and they can have hope and get resources, it’s a great thing.”
To learn more or to sign up, visit here.