Student-Run Shelter Provides Warm Comfort from the Cold

John A. Fisher '99 didn't join his family for a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal last Thursday. Instead, he spent the day in the University Lutheran Shelter for the homeless, preparing a turkey dinner for 23 homeless guests.

The shelter, run under the Phillips Brooks House Association and commonly known as UniLu, is funded by the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance. It is the only all-volunteer, student-run shelter in the country, its organizers say.

Wayne and Maria were two guests at the shelter last night and on Thanksgiving Day. As they warmed their fingers yesterday before dinner in the shelter, they expressed gratitude for Thursday's meal.

The turkey, accompanied by three types of stuffing, potatoes, peas and pies a la mode, "was very good."

"I was surprised," Wayne said.

But it was more than one meal that they were grateful for. Wayne, a regular guest, said, "If it wasn't for this shelter, there'd be a lot of dead people out there."

Wayne said that the students "bend over backwards" to help the guests.

"This probably has to be one of the best shelters going because of the students," he said. "These kids work hard, they really do.... They put their hearts into it."

The shelter can host up to 23 guests, and it is full on cold nights, according to Kristin L. Glover '99, a UniLu director.

Staff members, comprised of Harvard students and members of community groups, must stay at the shelter during the night hours, as well as assist with dinner and breakfast. Normally, four volunteers sleep in shifts. When awake, volunteers often interact with guests.

"They come in and talk to you," Maria said. "I think that's nice."

UniLu is safer than other shelters in the area, Wayne added. Guests must register with the shelter before nights when they wish to stay. Upon arrival, they must empty their pockets and pass through a metal detector.

In addition to a bed and a warm meal, UniLu provides guests with a phone, washer and dryer, a place to shower, toiletries and clothes. The shelter staff refer guests to organizations like the Somerville Coalition for the Homeless, which will assign them professional caseworkers, according to Fisher.

"If anyone can't stay at UniLu, we give them a blanket, a plate of hot food, coffee," Fisher said.

Staff will also provide subway tokens and refer homeless to other Boston shelters.

The shelter used four of eleven turkeys donated by the Boston Food Bank for the Thanksgiving meal. The rest will be saved for Christmas. The shelter normally serves leftovers from the Harvard dining halls.

It is open from Nov. 15 to April 15 and from 7 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.