Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley Youngstown Rescue Mission Kicked 74 year old woman out for disrespecting a staff member. Left her alone & homeless at 9 pm. Youngstown, Ohio
I am the assistant campus director for a local adult education program in the Mahoning Valley. One of my students, a 74 year-old homeless woman, was kicked-out of the Youngstown Rescue Mission on Monday over an argument with a staff member.
This particular shelter resident is a burn survivor who is widowed and is trying to get an education in the medical field so that she can obtain decent employment.
The facility gave the woman 15 min. to pack her things. With no form of transportation, she was forced to leave (police escort and all!) at nine o'clock at night. When she returned a few days later for her belongings, she was told they were "accidently" put on the bus to Goodwill.
Her school supplies, books and clothing are now all gone! She has been sleeping wherever she can and has to wash the same clothes over and over for school. Her dedication to bettering herself is what makes the actions of the shelter even more disturbing to me. She rides the public bus everyday to get to school. The staff at the shelter would require she attend "Devotion" than to stay in her room and study. On the evening she was kicked out, she was not allowed to rewash her school scrubs and lab jacket. The makeup that she wears is heavy to cover the scars on her face. The makeup had left stains on the collar of her jacket and the staff member, Crystal, would not allow her to rewash it. When Crystal walked away, the woman put the jacket back in the wash anyway. This is why she was put out!
I have long been a supporter of the Rescue Mission, but I will be no more! I am sick because of this. I am proud to say that the drive this woman has to succeed is amazing. After all of this, she is still here everyday with a smile still on her face. She is a christian woman and harbors no ill feelings against anyone at the shelter. As for myself, I am a pagan and I say "Shame on them!"
4 Updates & Rebuttals
hardplaces
Dallas,Texas,
United States of America
Get involved
#5General Comment
Wed, October 24, 2012
Kudos, tonyaw!
How I wish more supporters of homeless shelters would look deeper than the mere surface into what happens behind closed doors. It would surely be an eye opener of colossal proportion.
There is no regulatory body to govern operations within homeless shelters in the US, leaving this vulnerable segment of the population open to at will actions of shelter operators without any means of recourse. The same incident in a retirement home or a youth agency would have had lawyers lick their fingers filing a suit on behalf of a member of a protected group.
Throwing people out on the street is a well practiced mechanism by shelter personnel, serving as a means to control homeless people in a variety of ways. Keep in mind, the person being kicked out is not the only one affected; everyone in that shelter is a witness. It instills fear!
As long as the services provided by shelters are categorized as charity the homeless will NOT receive what they need, rather have to settle for what is given to them. In most shelters program participation is mandatory, meaning if you want help you have to attend classes. It is arrogant to assume that every homeless person that wants to change his/her circumstances needs work therapy, classes on budgeting and attend AA/NA meetings.
Sometimes a bus ticket or two is all that is needed to get someone back into self-sufficiency. There is no budgeting process that I am aware of that will solve the problem of not earning enough money to sustain basic needs. Requiring attendance in AA/NA classes defies their purpose as success is based on voluntary attendance.
Work therapy? What does that mean anyway? The only work therapy programs in shelters I am aware of is exploiting the homeless by either not paying them for their work or paying a stipend that is far less than minimum wage.
Shame,concernedcitizen!
Shelter personnel are being paid to do a job and that is not the meaning of selfless.
The working conditions of such an environment must be taken into consideration. Dont know what you were trying to say with this statement, but if you decide to work with children you better be prepared to change diapers.
concernedcitizen
newton falls,Ohio,
United States of America
committed
#5Consumer Comment
Wed, October 10, 2012
As a healthcare worker, I will be the first to tell you that a 74-year old woman can be as big of a threat as a 18 year old man. Also, I am assuming that we are not talking about a frail little lady.
Rescue Mission staff must take all threats, verbal and physical, seriously regardless of who makes them. Residents are made aware of the rules and regulations upon admission and that violating these rules could result in dismissal. Therefore, by threatening a staff member, it was her choice to leave the mission. Safety must be made a priority in the and residents must follow the rules and regulations that are in place to maintain this safety.
tonyaw
Youngstown,Ohio,
United States of America
Facts...
#5Author of original report
Tue, October 09, 2012
For the person who posted all of the wonderful things MCRM does for the Youngstown area.
Just to make myself clear, I did do some investigating. Why do you think that I would write such an article? I have been a volunteer with the Rescue Mission for many years. I also believed that they were providing a wonderful service for the community's homeless.
Until...this week, when I found out what they had done to this woman. Yes, staff should be free of physical assault. However, how much of a threat did this 74 year old woman pose? Maybe she was mouthy or disrespectful to the staff. Do you think that it was good practice to put her out in the middle of the night?
Again, just to be clear; I have called and attempted to speak with Rose and/or Crystal. Everytime I call, they say "she just stepped out." I have left my contact information, but no one has called.
concernedcitizen
newton falls,Ohio,
United States of America
Committed
#5Consumer Comment
Tue, October 09, 2012
It is against my better judgment to give this post any type of attention. However, I feel very strongly about defending the actions of the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley (RMMV) and to acknowledge its contributions to the City of Youngstown and the neighboring communities.
We must be grateful for an organization that is so committed to selflessly helping our community. The Rescue Mission provides those in need with food, shelter, clothing, safety, daily biblical instruction, case management, work therapy and career development. They also provide the community with a daily give away from their donation warehouse in which personal items and furniture are given at no cost.
Rescue Mission staff members and volunteers devote their time and are committed to helping those community residents who are in need. The working conditions of such an environment must be taken into consideration. RMMV staff members are entitled to a safe work environment in which there are not threatened physically or verbally. They are also responsible for maintaining a safe environment for its residents, which include men, women and children. Writing an article without investigating and reporting the actual events as they took place is very irresponsible and harmful to our community.
Information regarding the services provided by the Mission and statistics regarding the contributions they have made in our community at http://www.rescuemahoningvalley.org/about-us/program-stats.html.