What we do
For the past 7 years, the Blackstone Valley Emergency Shelter, with the help of volunteers and the community at large, has successfully provided emergency shelter to those in need during the coldest nights of the winter.
Our Mission
To give people in an emergency situation a warm place to stay
during the coldest months of the year.
Our Vision
The Blackstone Valley Emergency Center will be a safe place that links people in distressful situations to providers of services they may need or want. These services would include a warming shelter, job training, addiction support, facilities for personal hygiene, mentoring, counseling, and consistent accountability. Our objective is not only to provide temporary assistance but to walk with individual and families
in their adverse circumstances.
How we are helping...
Due to the impact of Covid-19, we have adapted our operating model. Rather than maintaining traditional physical shelters, our focus is on addressing the needs of the less fortunate by offering a wide range of essential items and services. These include, but are not limited to:
-
Making and delivering survival bags (filled with items found on our Amazon Wish List)
-
Providing gas cards
-
Providing shower cards that can be used at the Whitin Community Center
-
Providing transportation assistance
-
Finding alternative sleeping arrangements
-
Providing volunteers that personally answer questions and connect people to additional services
-
Partnering with local police departments and other supportive services with our Homelessness Navigator
How you can help
Different areas of need
01
Items for our Survival Bags
Our survival bags are distributed to six local police stations, churches, libraries and Town Halls. These bags are filled with items a person who is experiencing homelessness might need. You can donate these specific items which are available on our Amazon Wish List.
03
Donations for temporary stays in local hotels.
This year will be more difficult than ever before because affordable housing for those in need has reached its capacity. The State of MA has just admitted that they are out of space for those in need of temporary housing. We have made arrangements with local hotels to house our guests during the coldest nights of the year. One $100 donation gives a person one night out of the cold along with a survival bag and a meal for the day.
02
Gift cards
We have learned that most people have a smart phone, but finding a place to charge it can be a struggle. We purchase gift cards in $5.00 increments so that someone can be a customer in a local eatery or coffee shop and freely charge their phone. This opportunity is not something you can do if you are not a customer of the establishment. You can help by making a donation so we can purchase more gift cards.
04
Volunteers
We are constantly working to find people who can helps us do things such as answer our phones during the winter months, help with putting together our survival bags, or help our Homelessness Navigator make contacts and arrangements for those in need. You can call 508-266-5122 to learn more or email us at bv.emergency.shelter@gmail.com
Contact Us
508-266-5122
To join our email list, please fill out this form.
Mailing address: BVES PO Box 332 Whitinsville, MA 01588
Join us for our annual Blackstone Valley Wine and Chocolate Tasting
Join us on Saturday, March 9 at 7:00 PM at Blissful Meadows Country Club for a wonderful night of wine, food, auctions, and raffles. This amazing event is the talk of the town in the Blackstone Valley, and all proceeds go directly to supporting our mission to help those experiencing homelessness. Come out and support a great cause while having a fun-filled night with friends and family. Tickets are $40 per person