In The News
Jan
29
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At the “Friends of the Homeless” shelter, the recent death of a homeless woman was a reminder to people how important it can be to take advantage of a place to stay, food to eat and good company.
Jan
18
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A new report shows that the number of people living on the streets has gone down.
Jan
16
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While the numbers of chronic homeless admitted to his agency’s emergency shelters dipped incrementally by 10 in 2011, 573 new men and women received shelter at the agency last year and stayed longer to piece their lives back together. That number was up 57 from the previous year.
Jan
05
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WMECO employees donate 'October snowstorm' sheets, blankets to Friends of Homeless in Springfield
Nov
29
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Governor Deval Patrick went on a tour of Friends of the Homeless in Springfield's new facility, which he helped make happen. Governor Patrick speaks about the growing problem of homelessness.
Nov
29
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Gov. Deval L. Patrick expressed confidence Tuesday in the state’s new initiative to move homeless families out of motels, despite a funding shortfall that could curtail the program in two weeks.
During a tour of Friends of the Homeless Inc. on Worthington Street, Patrick said he is encouraged by the early results from HomeBASE, a rental subsidy program for homeless families unveiled in August.
Nov
29
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Tuesday Gov. Deval Patrick was honored at the Friends of the Homeless Resource Center for his help in getting the facility up and running.
Nov
04
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A national report has found that the number of people living in extreme poverty, after declining in the 1990s, has climbed in the past decade and is especially concentrated in urban areas such as Springfield and Holyoke.
Oct
21
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FOH will open a winter overflow shelter next month, but the number of men and women seeking shelter nightly is already very high.
Jul
19
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Governor Deval Patrick signs a budget for this fiscal year that includes an increase for some of the lowest paid homeless shelters including Friends of the Homeless Resource Center in Springfield.
Jul
11
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The legislature has given the Governor a budget which includes a new minimum reimbursement for some of the lowest paid homeless shelters in the state, including Friends of the Homeless, Inc. in Springfield, MA.
Jul
11
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Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a 30 point six billion dollar state budget today for the fiscal year that began July First. The budget shifts funds now used to provide emergency shelter for homeless families into a new program that provides rental assistance and other support services.. WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports
Jul
11
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Springfield's homeless are getting some much needed assistance. The state budget may be tight, but more funding has been approved for Friends of the Homeless in Springfield.
May
31
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The Republican's Peter Goonan continues to follow the efforts to increase state funding for shelter beds.
Apr
01
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A donation of four computers is expected to be tools used by the homeless to help rebuild their lives.
Friends of the Homeless (FOH) on Worthington Street formally opened its computer center on March 26. The four computer stations were donated by the W.J. Denver Chapter of the Verizon Pioneers, a service organization comprised of Verizon employees and retirees.
Mar
22
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Homeless people in Springfield will soon be able to go online to help get their lives back on track.
Mammie Smith uses the new computer bank at the Worthington Street shelter. She told 22News that she will use the Internet to find information that can help her improve her life. "Find a job or apartment; it is to get yourself not to be homeless," she said.
Jan
25
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With plummeting temperatures dropping as low as the negative 20's early Tuesday morning, the Friends of the Homeless on Worthington Street in Springfield were working in high gear to get as many people off the street as possible.
Jan
23
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SPRINGFIELD - A Friends of the Homeless employee said volunteers will be out this weekend looking for people who may need shelter from the frigid temperatures.
Jan
10
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The improbable story of Ted Williams (no, not the Boston Red Sox's iconic slugger) is the feel-good story of the new year. Williams is the homeless man from Ohio who became an overnight sensation last Monday when The Columbus Dispatch posted a web video of him demonstrating the sound of his velvet announcing voice.
Jan
06
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The sour economy is making it hard for non-profit groups to find volunteers as need grows and budget cuts force them to rely more on unpaid help.
Jan
02
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When the first cold blast of this winter hit, Gene Jiles slept on the floor of the cafeteria at Friends of the Homeless shelter in Springfield. That’s how crowded it was.
Dec
29
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What happens here during the weeks surrounding Christmas can be especially heartening. It is a time of year that people often feel called to be charitable.
Dec
24
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Chaconia Restaurant which recently opened at 301 Bridge Street in Springfield held a benefit buffet to support a Christmas Eve dinner for the homeless.
Dec
15
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As a provider of shelter services in Springfield, I appreciate the effort required to organize and operate the various shelters described in the Dec. 10 Gazette article "As cold weather settles in, area homeless shelters are running at full capacity."
Nov
30
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Perhaps more satisfying than a big Thanksgiving meal, is serving others. "A Touch of Garlic " in Springfield opened its doors Thanksgiving day to provide a traditional Thanksgiving meal to those in need.
Nov
25
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Spelled out in a fourth-graders handwriting, the sign outside A Touch of Garlic restaurant said: “Be thankful for everything.”
Nov
15
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About four years into a 10-year plan to end homelessness, the City of Springfield seems to be well on its way. Friday, Friends of the Homeless showed off a new facility.
Nov
13
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A stabbing early Saturday morning happened in the area of Bridge Street and East Columbus Avenue near some benches.
Nov
12
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The city of Springfield Massachusetts adds a major component today to its nationally recognized efforts to end homelessness.
Nov
12
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City and state officials, business leaders, and homeless advocates gathered Friday to celebrate the completion of a $12.5 million homeless resource center on Worthington Street, seen by some as a dream come true after five years of planning and fund raising.
Nov
12
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Springfield city officials and state leaders gathered to celebrate the completion of a building and renovation project at the largest homeless shelter in Western Massachusetts on Friday.
Nov
12
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"It's kind of hard getting an apartment yourself, maintaining it yourself," says Chris Cardinale of Springfield.
Nov
10
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A homeless man is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday for allegedly stabbing another man several times on Worthington Street.
Nov
01
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The Sept. 30 deadline, mandated in legislation passed on Beacon Hill earlier this year, to find ways to rectify discrepancies in state funding for homeless shelters in Western Massachusetts and Greater Boston came and went.
Sep
23
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As the number of homeless families living in motels spiked this summer in Western Massachusetts and statewide, Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray on Thursday unveiled a plan to provide another $1.56 million to help deal with the problem across the state.
Aug
25
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Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, calling it “a generational responsibility” to help the nation’s veterans, presided on Tuesday at a ceremony to pave the way for a $12 million housing project in Agawam for once homeless veterans.
Aug
22
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It has been a busy summer at Springfield's Friends of the Homeless shelter on Worthington Street. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports.
Aug
17
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The numbers of homeless people in Western Massachusetts has increased this summer. Emergency shelter providers blame it on the bad economy.
Aug
16
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The plight of the homeless may be more dramatic in winter, but even in summer, there’s evidence that the homeless population is growing.
Aug
16
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The Friends of the Homeless Shelter on Worthington Street in Springfield provided beds for 150 people on one recent night. Generally they see numbers like that in the wintertime.
Jul
21
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The executive director of the Worthington street shelter says bed bugs aren't uncommon there, but as soon as they're discovered, the management team has a coordinated plan of action to get rid of the problem fast.
Jun
24
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A top state official took a daylong tour of Springfield on Thursday, praising several development projects and announcing state funding and collaborations aimed at promoting economic development, jobs, education and services for the homeless.
Jun
15
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By resisting the notion that homelessness is a chronic condition with no cure, the City of Homes is making strides in its quest to solve one of the nation’s most pressing problems.
Jun
13
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The agency has been able to provide beds and services for homeless men and women at its shelters on Worthington Street at a cost of $13.97 each per night in state funds; across the state in Boston
Jun
12
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The agency has been able to provide beds and services for homeless men and women at its shelters on Worthington Street at a cost of $13.97 each per night in state funds; across the state in Boston
May
11
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Most college students go downtown at night for a little fun and relaxation. But, when Sara Recchini heads downtown, she is on a mission.
Apr
26
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Officials working on an initiative to end homelessness in Western Massachusetts declared Monday that...qoute..incredible progress.
Feb
05
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The Rev. Gregory S. Dyson recounts the words of a homeless person in a situation he has seen more than once: “I have a job. I no longer have a place to live. I have a car but no insurance. I sleep in the car.”
Jan
29
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Several agencies that count on state funds weren't too pleased to hear Governor Patrick's speech regarding the budget.
Jan
21
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Poverty increased faster in the outlying areas of most American metropolitan areas than the city centers, according to a new study released this week by The Brookings Institution.
Dec
30
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I brought my 9-year-old daughter to work with me at a homeless shelter. I was not happy about working that night. It was snowing. People were lining up out front, waiting to come in for dinner.
Dec
29
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Spending a night outdoors in bitter cold temperatures could literally kill you.
Dec
23
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In these times of economic uncertainty it is important that each donation made to a charitable agency be one that will be put to the best use possible, which has prompted one organization to establish giving guidelines.
