The community is once again reaching out to help a segment of the population in need.
The Winchester Opera House was filled Saturday for the Clark County Homeless Coalition’s Winter Gala and Silent Auction, an event aimed at raising funds for a local homeless shelter.
The event featured both silent and live auctions, music by a local jazz band, Looney and the Tunz, and a visit by Miss Kentucky DJuan Trent.
The Homeless Coalition recently purchased a building on Wainscott Avenue just off Lexington Avenue, but still needs another $60,000 to renovate it before it can be used to house the homeless.
Coalition President Terry Davidson said money raised at the event will be added to other donations to help fund the renovations.
“We’ve been very fortunate in that we’ve had some people offer their services for free, and we’re working on some grant money, the money from the gala will really help,” Davidson said. “I think it’s important for the community to get involved in this and do as much as possible to make it ours, to make it Clark County’s.”
The goal, Davidson said, is to get the work done and the shelter open by late spring.
Trent, whose platform is homelessness prevention and awareness, said shelters like Clark County’s provide much more for the homeless than just a place to sleep.
“A lot of times, when people are homeless, they get back on their feet and get back into society, but they don’t know how to survive, so they continue to fall over and over,” Trent said. “With homeless prevention, we like to focus on giving people the tools they need to come out of homelessness and be able to survive.”
Contact Bob Flynn at bflynn@winchestersun.com.
