E T. B.
3/5
The YWCA offers good things to help women and their children, as well as single women with no children as well. Which a lot of people are very thankful for including myself. I stayed their 2 times myself when I fell on rough times. However, there are quite a few things that are not the greatest during your stay. I'll focus on my 2nd most recent stay there which was August 2018 - October 2018. I'll start with organization and cleanliness and move in process. 1.) I firmly believe that the Y should put in place a bed bug policy upon moving in. Everyone that is going to move in should have to follow certain steps in ensuring that all there belongings are clean and bug free. They should also have at least one washer one dryer in the building for that specifically. Making each person that moves in wash and dry all their clothes and if needed car seat liners and covers etc. As well as blankets and so on. Once that's done someone should check through the cleaned stuff and then allow them upstairs. This would eliminate a very large part of that issue which happens there often. In the long run the Y will save money on exterminators coming monthly. 2.) Their should be some coordinator that is upstairs during the day when they send food donations upstairs. They are lucky to receive good meals and food in general from places around Canton. But, without someone to watch over the food distribution it gets pretty gross. People use their hands, leave food open, and just flat out rip thru it with no regard for others. That spreads germs and deters others whom use their manners properly from getting anything. Even though they are adults their some just need reminded to treat the Y as if it was their own home, which is something the women their should have to practice because the goal is to leave the Y and be in your own place that they help you get. If they had someone to regularly keep an eye on the cleaning and food and kitchen it would make it better. Not that these women want someone breathing down their neck all day by any means, but someone to kindly remind them to do and act accordingly when clearly they are not. That would make a big difference to the transition from homeless to being in your own home.
Those are a couple of the things I saw both times that need attention. So from my stay in 2014 to my stay in 2018 those problem are still there. Maybe a change would be beneficial in those areas.
And the last thing is this. When I left the Y the last time it was in bad terms because of how it happened. I was there approximately 2 months, and this time was different. I didn't see my case worker much and the contact between us was minimal, totaling less than 4 times in 2 months. I certainly understand their workload is big, and my specific worker I had both times I was there and she's very nice. I was kicked out for them smelling smoke in my room, now according to them it was the 2nd time they smelled it. I was not present for the first time nor did I receive something saying they smelled smoke, and the 2nd time they smelled it again I wasn't there. And when I returned on whatever day it was they inspected they gave me a note to move out. I was incredibly confused, as I never had a single issue from the day I moved in, that I was aware of or told about. I minded my own business and never joined in the usual drama that you have amongst a lot of women living together. I was quiet and stayed to myself. I was upset when they kicked me out and thought to myself the nicotine buildup from the years in those rooms would make anyone's room smell especially on a hot summer day when your AC is off and your not at home. I took pictures of it when I moved in as well. So that being said, their policies in regard to things like that are ridiculous. How do you expect a person to react to getting kicked out of the homeless shelter to be back sleeping outside for something nobody ever saw them physically doing and the only times they say it happened you were not even present. Thanks for the help,hope this helps they Y
