Town Will Support Homeless Shelter

Newtown taxpayers next year will help to foot the bill for a non-profit Danbury-based homeless shelter for men and women over 58 years of age.

The selectmen Tuesday agreed to include $2,500 in the 2001-2002 town budget following a presentation by two representatives from Shelter of the Cross.

The agency opened its doors in 1998 and has housed 21 elderly homeless men and women. Nine of those residents have been reintegrated into the community and are now living independently.

As Executive Director Karen J. Messina pointed out, Shelter of the Cross helps these elderly homeless regain their dignity in addition to warmth and shelter. In helping its residents obtain medical and social support services, the shelter operates at a fraction of the cost of a nursing home.

“Our goals are simple. We want to continue providing our elderly residents with a safe, warm, and supportive residence, assistance in obtaining medical, psychiatric, or community support services, and rehabilitation to help transition them to permanent, independent housing,” Mrs Messina explained.

Newtown resident Duane Baumert, a member of the shelter’s board of directors, also spoke to the selectmen Tuesday.

Three other non-profit organizations are also making a bid to receive town funding for the first time. However, the Volunteer Center of Danbury, WeCahr, and the Housatonic Valley Association did not attend this week’s meeting.