Dinner gathering helps county’s homeless

But a bad investment left him nearly penniless. Now he is homeless and waiting for a chance to move into public housing.

Brown, 68, said he was grateful for a chance to have a nice meal Friday night at Black River Landing where a dinner was held to bring awareness to the homeless.

“It’s nice people would do this,” Brown said after eating a dinner of chicken and mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, summer vegetables, baby greens salad, rolls and cake and ice cream.

The event was the brainchild of Joan Samkow of the Lorain County Board of Mental Health and Carla Hartman of PATH, a program of Gathering Hope House which provides outreach to the homeless.

Dignitaries who rubbed elbows with the homeless or served them dinner included Bill Harper, assistant director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health,  state Sen. Sue Morano, Lorain County Sheriff Phil Stammitti and Marcia Ballinger, vice president of strategic and institutional development at Lorain County Community College.

The speaker was Aman Motwane, author of the book “Yes, You Can Change the World,” who talked about finding good in all people.

Motwane, who was born in India and later worked in Silicon Valley, talked about feeling like an outcast at the age of 12. He said he was taller than other kids at school and did poorly in class.

He declared, “I’m done with school.” But he went back and applied himself after his mother took him to an exhibition of beautiful art created by a paraplegic who held a paintbrush in his mouth.

The speech was inspirational to James Postell, 46, who doesn’t have his own home but is staying with a  friend in Lorain.

“It was a pretty nice speech,” Postell said. “There’s something special in all of us.”

Many homeless people said they are living at the Haven Homeless Shelter in Lorain, although a few carried backpacks.

Yelena Morales, 28, said she’s been living at the Haven for nearly three months, and she isn’t sure where she will go with her four children, ages 5, 8, 10 and 12, when her time at the shelter runs out Aug. 5.

CARL SULLENBERGER / CHRONICLE

Aman Motwane, author of “Yes, You Can Change the World” autographs his book for Judy Maldonado on Friday at the Projects for Assistance in the Transition from Homelessness (PATH) dinner in Lorain.

She’s thinking about getting involved in the Family Promise program where families stay overnight at churches throughout Lorain County.

A utility bill of $487.81 dating back to 2001 makes it difficult for her to get into any housing, she said.

Hartman said her clients at PATH need help linking up with social services, and many have mental heath issues.

“We find them everywhere,” she said. “I’ve found people in the woods, sitting in parks, under bridges, at McDonald’s, at libraries, everywhere.”

There are some 600 homeless people in Lorain County, according to Mike Mayes, president and CEO of Neighborhood House Association, which runs the Haven.

That’s about a 20 percent increase over last year, according to Mayes. The foreclosure crisis hits even those who don’t own a home. Renters are forced out of apartments when banks foreclose on the landlords, he said. Some residents of the Haven told Mayes they lost their jobs when Lorain County Transit eliminated evening routes and they couldn’t get to work.

The event was attended by representatives of the Homeless Task Force and Mental Health Leadership Institute as well as Gathering Hope House, El Centro, Catholic Charities Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Bellefaire JCB and the Nord Center.

Sponsors included the Arts Enrichment Program, The Chronicle-Telegram, DeLuca’s Place in the Park, the Homeless Task Force, Jo-Ann Schmauch, Leadership Lorain County, loraincounty.com, the Lorain County Board of Mental Health, the Lorain Port Authority, the Mental Health Leadership Institute, Selenti’s Pizza, the Sheffield Sam’s Club, Shoreway Sports & Graphics, UAW Local 2192, Vermilion Liberty Ford, radio stations WOBL and WDLW and Channel 8.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.