Families at St. Matthew’s House enjoying remodeled rooms thanks to charity

NAPLES — Freshly painted sky blue walls and brand new wooden beds were welcomed by the women and children at St. Matthew’s House this week with smiles and thankful hearts.

It is the first major renovation since the 168-bed facility in East Naples opened in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a $36,000 donation from Christ Child Society of Naples, residents such as 8-year-old Thomas Hosack are sleeping more comfortably.

“I really like the new rooms, said Hosack, who joined his mother, Vonda, at the shelter about three weeks ago. “I get to sleep on the top bunk.”

Ceiling fans, tiled floors and pastel-colored bed linen replaced older fans and worn comforters, adding life to the six newly-remodeled rooms in the women and children dorms. It may not be home, but Vonda Hosack said with the interior overhaul, it comes close.

“I was just surprised that someone would dedicate all that money to families,” she said.

Roz Travis, a local interior designer and a member of Christ Child Society, spearheaded the project and called in favors from her suppliers — many of whom donated the materials. Travis and her crew began and finished most of the work on Monday, but they are still adding finishing touches. She calls it her labor of love project.

“To have all of these people give of themselves during these economic times says a great deal about the community,” Travis said.

Within the past six to nine months, St. Matthew’s House has seen the need for shelter and food double. There are about 40 to 50 people on the waiting list, and Michael Vallee, director of ministries and programs, says he gets about 20 admission calls a day. Some families are turned away due to lack of space.

“Times have gotten hard,” Vallee said. “They’re living from paycheck to paycheck, and they have no other place to go.”

The shelter provides assistance with drug and alcohol abuse, and residents receive a case manager who offers financial and parenting guidance and teaches life skills. The average stay is about 90 days, but not everyone is as fortunate.

According to a one-day survey conducted by the Collier County Hunger and Homeless Coalition in January, more than 850 adults and children countywide are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. Executive Director, Debra Mahr, cites job loss and an extreme cut in working hours as the cause.

At St. Matthew’s House, residents are required to be out of the dorms by 8 a.m. to start their workday or actively seek employment.

For Arlet Courtright and her family, having a safe place to return in the evening is plenty. Prior to moving to the shelter, Courtright, her husband, Michael, and her 3-year-old daughter Rihanna lived out of the family’s black Cadillac after falling behind on rent at their Golden Gate apartment. Being at St. Matthew’s House for the past two weeks has provided some sense of normalcy.

“It feels good, said Courtright, 42, about living in one of the remodeled rooms. “I was still thankful the way it was before. It was a roof.”

When asked by her mother if she liked the changes, Rihanna nodded her head — yes. She summed up her thoughts in one word: New.

E-mail Nicole Blake at nicoleblake09@gmail.com.

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