PETERSBURG, Va. — Pat Hines is once again working to open a winter shelter to help unhoused men in the City of Petersburg.
Hines opened a similar shelter last year, but the space she used was not available in 2024.
“We can’t really worry about what happens tomorrow, we’re worried about the people today and they’re sleeping outside, it’s just that simple,” Hines said.
Hines and a team of volunteers are working to open the 2024 shelter on South Dunlop Street. A space big enough to allow about 15 men to get out of the cold and into a warm cot.
“We are in negotiations and talks,” Hines said. “We have a community collaborative willing to buy the building.”
Past life experiences drove volunteer Terri Lyons to help Hines with the shelter.
“When I was in my early 20s, I was in a shelter with my children,” Lyons said. “I know what it feels like to be homeless.”
Without any financial aid from the city, Hines is looking for donors to help offset some of the costs.
“I have to pay someone seven days a week, from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.,’ she said. “That is my biggest expense.”