Homeless group may land at Restoration Urban Ministries

CHAMPAIGN – A tentative agreement for Restoration Urban Ministries to take in the Safe Haven "tent community" is being worked out, so the homeless group no longer has to take shelter in a local church.

The Rev. Ervin Williams, executive director of Restoration Urban Ministries, a faith-based shelter and social service organization in northwest Champaign, said he met Monday with representatives of the Safe Haven group, a self-governed group currently hosted by St. Mary Catholic Church in Champaign.

"We're pretty close to getting a deal," Williams said in a phone interview Monday evening. "We've got several groups coming in to help us get the rooms ready."

"Financially, (the homeless Safe Haven members) are not going to be able to do much," Williams said. "I told them we'll have to go to the community to raise some money for utilities."

"It is not our desire to have anybody sleeping on the street," Williams said.

A member of Safe Haven declined to discuss the agreement.

The plan was developed by leaders of Empty Tomb, another faith-based social services organization in Champaign. Empty Tomb's Sylvia Ronsvalle said she and her husband, John, read stories in The News-Gazette this summer about St. Mary hosting the Safe Haven community temporarily and about Restoration Urban Ministries having 17 rooms out of service due to repair needs.

She said they proposed in August that volunteers and tradesmen make repairs so Restoration Urban Ministries could take in Safe Haven.

Preliminary inspection of the rooms at Restoration's shelter, a former motel, indicated heating was needed, along with drywall repairs, carpet replacement and painting.

Ronsvalle said Empty Tomb is sending a letter to local churches asking for help. The repair costs are estimated at roughly $1,000 per room, she said. They also will be asking the larger community for help, she said.

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