About 21,000 people live on Martha’s Vineyard, and median home prices are almost identical to Carbondale. In September of 2022, when 50 refugees suddenly arrived courtesy of Ron DeSantis, the island’s population increased by 0.002%. Volunteers cared for them at a temporary church shelter for 44 hours, at which point Massachusetts’ governor helped move the hapless group to a mainland location. “The people of the island rallied,” NPR’s Eve Zuckoff explained, “but there isn’t the infrastructure.” The Island’s only shelter, she went on to say, usually holds 12 people and has only one shower. Residents told CNN they felt enriched by these nearly two days.
Tell us about it! Six weeks ago, Carbondale precipitously learned that our unhoused population had jumped from maybe five people to about 125, a 2% increase in our total population. Our shelter has zero showers and zero beds, because … what shelter?
More than 100 carpenters, plumbers, painters, remodelers, engineers, mechanics and others (according to a CBS News report) with no better place to go, because they ran out of days at Denver’s shelters. Some heard there might be work for people like them near Aspen, so they pooled their money, bought cars and drove up. Mostly, they lived in cars and tents near the boat ramp. Their cars were unregistered in Colorado, but they didn’t know that because sellers in Denver had given them fake paperwork and stolen plates, adding as much as $600 to the cost of each vehicle.
According to Town Manager Lauren Gister, the Town officially learned about the situation on Nov. 8, following an organizational meeting at the Third Street Center the previous evening. It was convened by State Representative Elizabeth Velasco and Voces Unidas de la Montañas (Voces), an advocacy group for Latinos. Town officials were not invited to that meeting, though my wife (Niki Delson) and I were. Third Street Center Exec and Carbondale Trustee Colin Laird was also there (though apparently not on behalf of the Town), as were people from about 15 organizations and agencies and a handful of the (primarily) Venezuelan refugees.
We received limited census data that Voces had hastily collected and heard touching personal stories from several eloquent spokespeople via instant translation. They were documented and wanted work, but most did not yet have work permits. They were making themselves available for day labor at Carbondale’s traditional day labor site. They sent money to their families whenever they could. Their immediate needs were food, warm clothing and shelter.
Food Bank of the Rockies said they could supply some food. Pitkin County offered 50 cots. Niki and I decided to enlist two congregations and Age-Friendly Carbondale to provide winter clothing. The housing problem was not addressed, but the following morning Third Street tenants received an email from Colin. Effective the previous evening, the Center would temporarily house those who wanted to sleep there. The large Community Hall was now a night shelter.
I can’t say things have gone smoothly since that meeting. Many are still unhoused, though better equipped to handle the cold while sleeping in cars. At Third Street, with 60 people eating and sleeping in one room, contagious winter maladies have started appearing, though The People’s Clinic is assisting with medical services.
Adequate food is a day-to-day challenge, especially with no real kitchen facilities and only irregular deliveries from food banks. More than enough winter clothing has been collected, but distribution proved more complicated than expected. Voces wants out. Their mission is education and political organizing. They don’t want to forsake that in favor of refugee relief work. But no good deed goes unpunished and, for now, they are stuck, as are Colin Laird, his staff of one and all the Third Street tenants. Retired Re-1 superintendent Rob Stein has volunteered to look for and organize resources, but his forte is administering top-down systems with procedures and resources already in place.
This is new for Rob, and he readily told me that he’s not good at it, at least not yet. Neither is Irené Wittrock who is carrying most of the load for Voces. Her last job was as a support worker at Mountain. Developmental Services. Irené, like everyone, took on work she’s never done and is coping as best she can. So is the Town’s government. There’s a steady stream of people wanting to volunteer time, food and clothing, but no one is organizing this resource.
At last week’s trustee meeting, Mayor Ben acknowledged that the Town was moving at “government speed,” while Colin and Irené were carrying the load at “volunteer humanitarian speed.” He thanked them. The Town is working to open a second, equally inadequate shelter to relieve Third Street and a safe parking area for those who must remain in cars. The Town’s first concern, Lauren told me, is not letting anyone freeze to death. Second is seeing to it that they are treated respectfully. So far, so good.
So, listen up, Martha’s Vineyard. We’re way past two days. We’re coping. We’re getting better at it. We WILL get everybody through the winter alive and give these folks the respect they deserve. Then we’ll tell ourselves that we don’t want to do this again. But, if we’re called on, we just might. Like you said, Martha’s Vinyard, it’s enriching. Especially when you stick with it.
Mature Content is a monthly feature from Age-Friendly Carbondale.