FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — An after-hours emergency shelter in Frankfort that opened in May has already helped several families in need.
“Last year, we made an effort to document every call that we got through our hot-line or our office phone and we received 528 calls of individuals or families needing shelter. Now that's a huge number that I didn't even expect,” said Janet Gates, the executive director of the Franklin County Women & Family Shelter.
Ten different agencies in Franklin County worked together to open the emergency shelter, which is a two-bedroom apartment that contains basic furniture and necessities. It is for single women, families with children, and even individuals with certain medical needs.
“If Frankfort Cares or the shelter hot-line got a call in the middle of the night or after hours with someone needing shelter, we would have some place for them to go until we can get with them and place them with an appropriate agency the next business day,” said Gates.
It is actually a one-year pilot project to document the need for it in the county. Since the emergency shelter opened May 31, it has been used a total of 66 days. The pilot project runs until May 2020 and data will continue to be collected on how many times it is used.
“So we can go and apply for funding through the federal government or state government. We can reach out to different foundations and individuals for donations,” said Gates.
Funding would be used to open a larger emergency shelter.
If you'd like to donate to the emergency shelter, checks can be made out to R.O.S.M. and sent to P.O. Box 302, Frankfort, KY 40602. Add “Emergency Shelter Program” to the memo line.
You can also call the Franklin County Women & Family Shelter and ask for Janet Gates if you have any furniture you'd like to donate to the home.
