HOMELESS SHELTER IS STILL OPEN

The director of a Cape Girardeau homeless shelter said Thursday the facility is still operating despite concerns from social workers who have been unable to contact the center for referrals.

Bill Bunch, the director of community service for East Missouri Action Agency in Flat River, said workers in the agency's Cape Girardeau office have unsuccessfully tried to contact the New Life Evangelistic Center for months to make homeless referrals.

The center, at 713 Morgan Oak, opened last summer as an overnight shelter for homeless men.

"We saw an article in the paper back last fall when this was established, and it seemed like this was going to be a God-send for the area," said Bunch.

"But we can't seem to get anyone in there. We're not able to make referrals to them because there's never anybody there to answer the phone."

But the center's director, the Rev. Larry Rice of St. Louis, said Thursday that the shelter is open daily and continues to board homeless men overnight. He also said that the center relies less on social agency referrals than on "word-of-mouth."

Rice said the shelter is open only overnight from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. During the day, shelter staff members work at a free-clothing store at 625 Broadway that's also operated by New Life.

"The biggest need isn't during the day, it's for overnight shelter," he said. "The problem with other agencies is they're open from 8 to 5 and the homeless don't need shelter from 8 to 5. They need it after 5; that's when we're open."

Bunch said he would prefer a shelter that's available for referrals.

"I think when it was opened they said it was going to be open during the week for men to stay there," Bunch said. "A large segment of the homeless are single males and there's a great need for something like that.

"But we don't even know if they're open. If they're going to have the facility, we'd like it to be open."

A reporter reached Arnold Phillips by phone shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday at the shelter. Phillips works and lives at the facility.

He said the center sometimes is difficult to reach during the day because he's the only staff person and he helps operate the free-clothing store during the morning.

He said the clothing store is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The homeless shelter doesn't open until after 5 p.m., but Phillips said he's usually there in the afternoon to answer the phone.

He said that despite the lack of referrals from agencies such as EMAA, the shelter continues to board homeless men overnight.

"We've got three men here right now," he said. "For a lot of people, other agencies don't do anything about them, so they come to us."

Rice said the center tries to make the most efficient use of limited resources to operate the center.

"There's definitely a need for more shelter there, but we're trying the best we can," he said.

"We're just trying to make the best use of manpower, and just having someone set at the house all day waiting for an occasional phone call isn't the best use of manpower."

The Cape Girardeau shelter is one of 11 New Life operates in Missouri, he said. Rice also operates two television stations that feature inspirational programming.

Rice also is editor of the ZOA Free Newspaper and the Homeless Express Newspaper. He announced last week he will run for Missouri lieutenant governor on the Democratic ticket.