News
“Live & Let Live” Homeless Shelter to Open Nightly through March Starting November 15
November 10, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
With the cold weather season approaching, DeKalb County’s emergency homeless shelter plans to be open overnight each night beginning Friday, November 15 to give more people more opportunity to keep warm and get fed.
The shelter, operated by a non-profit group under the name “Live & Let Live Resources for the Unhoused”, is located a 656B West Broad Street, Smithville in a portion of the Vitality Fit building. When the shelter is open, services offered to the homeless include showers, laundry services, hot meals, and other necessities.
“Starting Friday, November 15 through March 15 we will be open every night. We will open the doors at 6 p.m. and we will have guests back out by 7 a.m. the next morning,” said Board spokesman Royce Curtis. “Last year what we did and what we are going to try to do this year is have volunteers check people in and coordinate showers, meals, and laundry services and somebody will stay the night with them,” Curtis explained.“
The shelter is normally open during the spring, summer, and fall on a schedule of Mondays from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m., Thursdays from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 12 noon until 4 p.m.
Beginning in January, plans are to expand the shelter’s operation at the same location.
“We plan to stay in our smaller spot through November and December but by January we hope to spread out into the entire building. Vitality Fit will be moving after which we will take the whole building. We think expansion is needed with the number of people we have had come in to use the facility. We think as it gets colder we will be pushing the limit of how many people we can get in that current space we are in”, said Curtis.
Support for the shelter, which opened almost a year ago, has grown.
“At the beginning when we opened in January last year, we began providing shelter on cold nights when the temperature was below freezing and that was received really well. The homeless community came in and took advantage of that,” said Curtis. “After the winter was over we started opening up two days a week to allow for showers, meals, and laundry services and then we went to a third day. Over the last few months we have been having as many as fourteen people come in during the two to four hours we have been open”.
More volunteers are needed as in-house staff to help check people in and out and to serve as shower attendants, cleaning crew, and to assist with laundry and meal services and overnight supervision. Meals may be provided either by donating food or cooking.
Groups or organizations can “adopt a day of community service hours” by contacting Volunteer Coordinator Nikki Curtis at 615-281-9799.
Donations are accepted during hours when the shelter is open or by appointment by contacting Gina Arnold at 615-464-3047.
Needed items including bottled water, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, mouthwash, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, dish soap, cleaning supplies, paper products (plates, bowls, cups, flatware, toilet paper, paper plates).
New clothing items needed are socks, underwear, t-shirts, sweatpants, sweatshirts, gloves, scarves, beanies/toboggans, coats, and jackets
Mobile living needs include tents, sleeping bags, toiletries, sewing kits, duffel bags/backpacks, non-perishable and single serve food items.
Monetary donations may be accepted in person or digitally with PayPal or Square
For more information phone 615-281-9799 or at livendletlivetn@gmail.com
DeKalb West PreK voted Election Day
November 10, 2024
By: Bill Conger
And the winner is………Duck! PreK kids at DeKalb West School on Election Day didn’t cast their votes for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. Instead, they voted for that web wonder who began in a humble pond and worked his way from farmer, to governor, and now the Commander in Chief. PreK students in Ms. Amy Young’s class heard the “Duck for President” book by Doreen Conan as their part of learning about the political process.
Veterans Day Program Monday
November 9, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
A Veteran’s Day Program sponsored by the American Legion Post #122 will be Monday, November 11 starting with music at 9:30 a.m. followed by the featured program at 10 a.m.at the county complex auditorium.
Following the program a wreath will be placed by veterans at the courthouse’s memorial monument and then lunch for veterans, their spouses, and program participants.
Patriotic music by Susan Hinton on Keyboard, the DCHS Band under the direction of Max Patterson and the DCHS Chorus under the direction of Josh Gulley. Commander Jerry Hinton will welcome the audience followed by the presentation of the colors and a prayer by Chaplain Larry Green and then the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem.
Judy Redmon of the Ladies Auxiliary will introduce the speaker Danny Pan, Cookeville Post 135 Middle Tennessee Adjutant. Local Adjutant Ronnie Redmon will dismiss the program. Decorations by Jan Thomas and committee.
