<bt>Shelter monitor Robert "Bob" Beech hopes he does not see the same face three times at the men's homeless shelter.
The Ashburn resident does not mind if former shelter residents stop in to visit, which they do, but he wants them to gain the skills they need to avoid becoming homeless again. He requires the men, who are allowed to stay up to 89 days, to follow the same policies and procedures as those for the three family shelters located near Leesburg, all operated by Good Shepherd Alliance, Inc., a faith-based, non-profit organization.
The men's shelter is a temporary emergency shelter with bed space for a maximum of 12 men at one time, since Beech does not allow anyone to sleep on the couch. Once the men arrive at the brick house, which sits on a five-acre plot in Ashburn, they have five days to find a job and to contact the Loudoun County Department of Social Services. They are assigned to a social worker and gain access to the department's services, including a job resource center and a housing services division, along with mental health services through the Department of Mental Health.
Once they find a job, the men are required to place part of their earnings into an escrow account and to follow a few house rules, including doing the dishes, making their beds and coming home at 10 p.m. They are given linens and toiletries when they arrive, but after that, they have to buy their own household items and any extra food besides what is provided at the shelter.
"This isn't jail, but I don't want it so nice, they never leave," Beech said, adding that if the residents do not find work within five days, he allows them to stay as long as they continue to look for employment.
THE HOUSE where the men's shelter is located was one of the original family shelters operated by Good Shepherd Alliance after Pastor Charlie Grant founded the organization in 1983. The organization housed the homeless in several homes in the Sterling and Arcola areas until about 10 years ago when it opened shelters in the three county-owned buildings near Leesburg and turned the fourth house into a men's shelter.
The men's shelter has the site until the end of 2005 or 2006, when it will be torn down for a 6,000-unit housing development. The shelter, which sits on land owned by Brambleton Partnership Group, was originally scheduled to close down in 2002, but the developer agreed to allow the shelter to continue operating until the development reaches that area. After that, the shelter will need a donation of land and money, ideally about two to five acres of land for the construction of six to eight homes, Beech said.
In the meantime, the number of men staying at the shelters is on the rise. The shelter housed 115 residents in 2001, compared to 90 residents in 2000 and 45 residents in 1999. Beech attributed the increase to the county's growth, the area's high cost of living and the national economic downturn last year.
"Those living paycheck to paycheck, it doesn't take much to find themselves in financial straights," Beech said.
THIRTY-FIVE RESIDENTS stayed at the shelter this year from Jan. 1 to April 1, and another 17 men had to be turned away for lack of bed space. Ten residents are staying at the shelter now.
"For those who want to get their life moving in the right direction, this is an ideal environment," Beech said, adding that if the residents are not interested in being a productive citizen, they will not last long and will be asked to leave.
The men have to be at least 18 years old and fill out the intake paperwork before they can stay. Beech worked with the shelter committee and shelter employees to consolidate the paperwork from six forms to one form after he took the position about two years ago. Good Shepherd Alliance implemented the revised intake process in 2000, reducing the time from a few hours to 20 minutes.
The typical resident is either 35 years or younger with a history of substance abuse problems or between the ages of 45 to 65 with the same type of problem, a disability of some kind or mental health problems, Beech said.
"I see my role as pointing individuals in the direction where they can receive help," Beech said, adding that he provides informal counseling for residents if they request it. "Oftentimes, guys have never been in this situation before. They are embarrassed. I don't think anyone is enamored with saying they live in a homeless shelter."
"He's 100 percent there. He's a very dedicated person," said Joyce "Joy" Trickett, chairman of the board and a volunteer at Good Shepherd Alliance. "He really likes to see them accomplish something. One by one, one on one is the only way sometimes to make a difference."
BEECH, WHO ALSO works at Brambleton Golf Course, has spent several years providing community service, including volunteering for Good Shepherd Alliance for half a year before he was hired on as the men's shelter monitor. He worked for 20 years in the data processing business in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County and used his computer background to fit the shelters with computers. In 1999, the shelters began transmitting resident reports and county and state reports electronically instead of manually and could provide the computers for resident use.
"After spending 20 plus years in data processing, I was tired and wanted to help individuals," Beech said. "Being a good Christian, I see this as a way to help individuals."
Beech, a Loudoun resident since 1984, worked with youth for 25 years, coaching and maintaining the databases for Little Leagues in Loudoun County, along with serving on several organization's boards.
"He feels like he needs to give something back to the community, and that's what he's doing," Trickett said. "Bob's a real caregiver. ... He's interested to see people get ahead."
"Bob is an excellent communicator, and he's great with one-on-one relationships," said Mark Gunderman, vice-chairman of the Good Shepherd Alliance. "It's a tough job to deal with single homeless men. He's able to work with them and make sure each individual follows the rules in a stressful environment."
Beech's unwritten rules do not allow residents to reenter the shelter within six months of their last stay and to come back a fourth time.
"If we see someone three times, we're not helping the situation," Beech said.
IN THE EVENINGS, the men can watch television in the living room, set up a card game or play video games on the in-house computer. Once a week, they can attend a Bible study provided at the family shelter and when the weather is nice, they can cook outside.
Some of the residents develop friendships that last beyond their stay, and a few will decide to room together, Beech said.
The men's shelter is funded through donations and the income earned at the Good Shepherd Alliance Thrift Store in Sterling. The shelter also receives food and bread donations, along with bus tokens for the men to use.