By Erica Bryant
Shakeia Watkins and
her 9 month old baby wait inside the front vestibule of the Central Library.
Security guards allow people to come into this area to avoid the cold as they
wait for the library to open. (Photo: Erica Bryant)
The Central Library didn't open until 11 a.m. on Thursday,
but by 10 a.m. a dozen people were waiting outside its doors. One of them was a
9-month-old baby named Avayah.
It was 19 degrees and snowing. The security guard opened the
door.
Avayah's mother is homeless and staying at a shelter. On
Thursday morning she dropped her older daughter off at pre-k and took the bus
to the library.
Many homeless people make the same decision each day,
seeking warmth, safety and clean bathrooms. The library has increased the
services offered to its homeless patrons, including on-site medical and dental
care.
"They don't need a book on how to take care of their
teeth," said Jennifer Byrnes, the library's division head of science and history.
"They need a dentist."
A couple of months ago, Rochester Regional Health started
sending its mobile dentist unit to the library to provide homeless patrons with
cleanings, extractions and other needed dental procedures. It joined a variety
of organizations that send service providers to assist homeless patrons.
Barbara Best, a
retired nurse, was recruited to volunteer at the Central Library by her
daughter, Jennifer Byrnes, the division head of science and technology at the
Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County. (Photo: Erica Bryant)
During certain months, University of Rochester medical
students staff a station at the library, offering glucose monitoring, eye
checkups and other medical services. To fill the gap when they are unavailable,
Byrnes recruited her mother, Barbara Best, who is a retired nurse. This week
Best started volunteering to staff a medical station in the Central Library on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Midtown Plaza was once a go-to place for homeless people who
were looking to stay warm downtown. When the mall closed in 2008, the library
saw a tremendous influx of homeless visitors. "The Central Library became
the only source of public restrooms and warmth," said Library Director
Patricia Uttaro. Library staff doesn't know how many homeless people visit the
library on an average day. They do know that there are always people outside
waiting for the library to open. The security guard is allowed to let them in
early to wait in the front vestibule.
Baby Avayah's mother, Shakeia Watkins, who was let in about
50 minutes before opening time on Thursday, was happy for that policy. Once
inside the vestibule, she removed the stroller cover so that Avayah could look
around and the baby's bright eyes peeked out from under a furry hat, puffy coat
and big blanket. "I try to keep her bundled up," Watkins said.
Shakeia Watkins brought her 9 month old baby to the Central
Library. (Photo: Erica Bryant)
She had been homeless for about a week. Living with Avayah's
father had not worked out and she had come to the library hoping for some help
finding shelter for herself and her two children. "I am just looking for
something to call home for me and my kids."
Housing help can be found on the third floor, in the Library
Resource Outreach Center. This office is staffed by local human service
agencies that can help people access food, housing, shelter, employment and
legal assistance. LROC started in 2014 and has expanded to serving patrons five
days a week. It is open on Monday from 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday through
Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. and on Friday (for legal services only) from 1 to 3
p.m.
Francis C. Miles sat at a table near the glass offices of
LROC on Thursday afternoon reading What You Say Is What You Get, a book that
starts with the Jaques Lacan quote, "whatever a man is, he becomes it by
speaking."
About three months
ago he lost his housing after a tax foreclosure and was homeless. LROC helped
him help finding housing near Dewey Avenue.
"This library is a lifesaver," he said. "This
library is the most resourceful library I have ever been in." He now has a
warm place to live, but said he still comes to the library every day to read
the books.
Erica Bryant is the Democrat and Chronicle's Pay It Forward
columnist. Contact her at ebryant@gannett.com.
Source: Democrat and Chroncile
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