Homes With Hope: Nonprofit reveals newly renovated shelter and food pantry

The renovation also brought in new appliances, like a washer and dryer and Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible bathrooms.

Angelica Toruno

Jan 5, 2025, 12:14 AM

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The Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place in Westport is ready to serve those in need of shelter and food once again after months of renovations.
"It is wonderful. I've been working in this space for some time now and the building was great, a wonderful support to the community but it needed some love. Itneeded some attention, and so we've done that," said Paris Looney, vice president and chief operating officer of Homes with Hope.
The Westport-based nonprofit Homes with Hope overseas the shelter and food pantry. The layout of the facility was completely redone.
"We're still going to be able to serve our capacity of 15 men, four women and we also have the ability to provide some space for overflow during the winter," Looney said.
Perhaps the biggest gamechanger is the women's dorm, which now has complete access to the rest of the center. Before, women would have to exit the building to then enter through the front and have access to the kitchen and bathroom.
The renovation also brought in new appliances, like a washer and dryer and Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible bathrooms.
"The people that we serve are deciding between do they pay a utility bill or do they put food on the table for their families? And fortunately, our agency is able to help them with both," said CEO and President of Homes with Hope, Helen McAlinden.
The food pantry on the second floor will provide more variety of options than ever before.
"We'll have our freezer and refrigerator that's being installed on this Monday...Weare also having a baked goods section and then we'll have the shopping carts and the clients will come up, they will check-in, they will shop the store and then they will check out," explained Katharine Murray, senior director of marketing and development of Homes with Hope.
Sacred Heart University also had a hand in the restructuring of the food pantry. A student capstone project completed two years ago provided the nonprofit with insight on what its food insecure clients found most important.
"We were able to bring the voice of the clients into the design of the center," said Stacey Goodwin, advisory board chair for center of nonprofits at Sacred Heart University.
The center will officially reopen its doors on Monday, Jan. 6 and the food pantry will open the Monday after on Jan. 13.
More information about the nonprofit can be found here.