Downtown walk kicks off Valley's cold weather shelter program

YOUNGSTOWN

Just last spring, Sherry Gray was dealing with her share of difficulties, but within a short time she found herself surrounded by supportive people and with a job.

A major force in the Youngstown woman’s turnaround was the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley, which provided her with shelter, spiritual guidance and transportation. From there, she went to the Beatitude House, enrolled in a 30-day job-training program at Goodwill Industries Inc. and got a part-time position at Walmart in Boardman, she said.

“The Rescue Mission helped me get around positive people who were on the same page I was. I know I will accomplish what I’m trying to accomplish,” Gray said during a news conference today at the mission on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near downtown.

The gathering was to kick off the 26th annual Cold Weather Emergency Shelter program, a coordinated effort to further reach out and provide resources to people who are homeless during the winter and to end homelessness in the Mahoning Valley.

Beforehand, several dozen outreach workers as well as members of Help Hotline, Veterans Affairs, Catholic Charities Regional Agency, the Mental Health Recovery Board and others took part in the eighth annual Homeless Walk from the Covelli Centre to the Rescue Mission.

Read more about today's event and the winter program in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.