A truly collaborative effort, On-Campus Winter Homeless Shelter in its sixth year
By Staff | January 10, 2012
What began as an idea in the minds of two students has become an annual tradition of giving back at Virginia Wesleyan College. Each January since 2007, the College has hosted a week-long homeless shelter in the gymnasium inside the Jane P. Batten Student Center.
According to organizers, it is the only homeless shelter known to be operated on the property of a college campus in the United States. This year, the Virginia Wesleyan College On-Campus Winter Homeless Shelter is being held Jan. 8-15.
Established as a partnership with the Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless, the shelter has evolved into a truly collaborative campus-wide effort, which now includes official academic tie-ins such as the interdisciplinary service learning class offered during the College's winter session, an intensive three-week academic term.
Last year, the shelter served approximately 75 guests with the help of about 90 volunteers — mostly VWC students, faculty and staff. The guests are bussed into the shelter each night from the city of Portsmouth, Virginia. The shelter is not open to the general public.
The shelter offers comfort for homeless men and women during what is typically one of the coldest times of the year. For VWC student volunteers, the shelter is a tangible opportunity to come face to face with the human toll of homelessness and to make meaningful connections with guests. Transcending social barriers and stereotypes is also an important part of the volunteer experience.
“I feel like that's where a true education begins and ends,” says Diane Hotaling, VWC's Director of Community Service. “We are so blessed to be at a place that values that kind of learning."
In keeping with the College’s Wesleyan heritage, VWC students are encouraged to become engaged citizens who care about their community in active ways.