New homeless shelter opens in the Miami Valley

Cold ground. Whizzing cars. Bright street lights. Homeless people across the country live in these conditions that eventually become mundane. In Ohio, in Greene County, in Xenia--the situation is no different.

"I've been out here the whole time," Denver Lindamood Jr. told WHIO in 2016. At the time he had been homeless for three months.

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Bridges of Hope, a faith-based organization located in Xenia, has been working to combat the issue for three years and is now set to open a homeless shelter in Xenia Monday evening.

The city's only emergency homeless shelter for single men and women will open at 7 p.m. at Simon Kenton Elementary, located at 1087 W. Second St.

The shelter currently has 20 beds ready but the space can hold up to 100 people.

Guests will have access to clothes, be supplied with dinner, breakfast and a lunch to take with them the following day.

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Shelter manager Tracy Chizever told NewsCenter 7's Gabrielle Enright that anyone who wants to stay at the shelter must have an ID and pass a brief background check.

Check in is set to begin at 7 p.m. and end at 8 p.m.

More than a dozen workers from the local Lowe's on Hospitality Drive came to the shelter, installed security cameras and changed locks.

"We saw a need and we stepped in to help," said Kim Leeper, one of the Lowe's employees.

Bridges of Hope is hoping to provide guests with a hot shower as well, but still needs outside aid.

"We're going on faith but we still need donations," Chizever said.

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The organization told News Center 7 they are still asking for volunteers to donate their time, money or food.

Bridges of Hope is a faith-based, Christ-centered, non-profit organization dedicated to creating a "Hub of Hope" that will serve those experiencing homelessness, poverty and consequences of addictive behaviors. More information can be found on their website: Bridges of Hope

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