After the holidays the Marjaree Mason Center sees an influx of people needing shelter and this year is no different. CEO Nicole Linder said it’s a cycle they see year after year.
“I think a lot of people want to reconcile, they want to be at home together as a family and so there is a high desire to forgive and maybe forget past wounds for the sake of preserving that family unit, but there are a lot of stressors that happen around holiday times,” said Linder.
Even with the influx, she said if you need help the center will work with you.
Long-term, Linder said there needs to be a shift in how we view homelessness, especially when it comes to those experiencing domestic violence.
“It is really considered one of the number one reasons for homelessness, but it’s also a very invisible sign of homelessness where oftentimes we’re not thinking of individuals who are unsafe in their own home as people who need housing support in the same way that somebody who lacks adequate housing and is unhoused on the street,” said Linder.