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The Warmth of Hospitality: Malden pastor helps locals in need during the winter season
Gerald Whetstone, the founder and executive director, hopes the Malden Warming Center can be an example to neighboring cities. […]
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Bread of Life perseveres with its mission in spite of challenges
By Anne D’Urso-Rose The line snaked in fits and starts along a path outside the First Baptist Church of Malden. Those waiting for their free meals from Bread of Life were practicing social distancing with unequal measurements of separation. “I’ve been coming for many years,” said Govan, a Bread of Life meal patron, as he waited in good spirits. “These people are wonderful. We’d all be lost without them.” Life is challenging for Malden residents these days but for those with the least amount of resources, the situation has hit harder. To address the need, dedicated staff and volunteers on the front lines continue to serve the city’s most vulnerable residents with commitment and resourcefulness. “Since last week, the numbers seemed to be going up,” said John Robillard, the Meals Program Assistant for Bread of Life. “Today (Tuesday) we have 75 meals, where normally we make about 50.” “People have to eat,” said Gabriella Snyder Stelmack, Executive Director of the Bread of Life, in a recent interview with Neighborhood View. “We’ve had to make changes […]
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Homeless find refuge in Malden Warming Center
Story and photos by Diti Kohli Age 54, diabetic, and newly homeless, Rosa spent her first night in the Malden Warming Center on a frigid February evening. In late January, she lost her job as a live-in evening manager of a disabled veterans care facility that gave her only two weeks to vacate her home. Rosa does not receive unemployment benefits from her non-profit ex-employer. She survives off food stamps and has only procured enough insulin to last another month. Without the center, she would be spending her nights on the street. “I’ve always said if people are homeless, there has to be a reason they’re there,” said Rosa. “This is my reason.” According to a report from the Department of Housing and Development, Rosa is among the estimated 20,000 homeless individuals in Massachusetts. Citizens and officials in Malden, alarmed at the number of homeless in the city, have worked together to open a warming center, a place where the homeless can find respite from the winter. The center opened for the winter on Jan. […]