ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Homeless in Rochester. News10NBC hears from a woman who lived on the streets for a year.
Thanks to The Vineyard Farm, also known as The Hub, that’s no longer the case. The local organization has an RV that hits the road during the cold winter months to deliver the gift of comfort.
The Vineyard Farm is a motorhome that provides services for homeless individuals. It makes stops at several encampments throughout the city. People can get shelter. All they have to do is hop on when the RV pulls up to their location, no questions asked.
“We had no blankets, no nothing, barely had stuff to eat,” said Robin Wellington.
Wellington says she was evicted from her home last winter and was homeless for a year. She was struggling and started sleeping under a bridge on Scio Street. One day she says she woke up to a dead person on top of her. She says the person overdosed and froze to death.
“He didn’t move, and he was stiff. I was like oh no. This aint happening. I couldn’t believe it. So, I started yelling and told them to get this dead man off of me,” said Wellington.
She says she contacted Catholic Charities, and they connected her with The Vineyard. She is now two months clean, has her own place, and a job helping the homeless with Sister Marsha Allen.
“I got love, no judgement. Yes, I was doing drugs but that didn’t matter. They helped me in every way possible.”
Sister Marsha Allen has been working with the homeless for the past three years since the start of the pandemic. That’s when she came up with the RV mobile warming center. She has two operating right now.
She says they offer everything from clothing to medical assistance.
“We have food we can give them, hats, blankets. Around the bottom there are storage areas,” said Allen.
If they do have a phone, they can charge their phone.
“We want to help save lives and keep people from being unnecessarily sick,” Allen said.
For the month of February, Allen will have a 24-hour pop-up mobile shelter available within one hour of a code blue announcement. They need more volunteers and donations.
For more information or to volunteer, call 585-877-3591, 24 hours/7 days a week.
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