Westview Primary is a special
needs shelter open in the Charleston area. Special needs shelters serve
residents who live independently, but whose lives depend on electricity, for
items like refrigeration for diabetes medicines and oxygen for breathing. The
eight clients currently sheltered here reside in communities all across the
Lowcountry from Johns Island to North Charleston.
Shelter manager, Lornia Winnen, has lived in the Lowcountry
for more than 20 years and has volunteered for the Red Cross for 15 years.
"I want to make a difference and let people know we care." She shared
that the shelter "ends up being life sustaining" for residents. In
addition to her responsibilities for opening and managing the shelter, she said
that the Red Cross is a "big morale boost" for these clients.
"When they come here, they are often scared and anxious. If they have not
planned ahead, they may not know where they are going when they leave
home. And once they arrive to the shelter, they don't know what is going
on with their home." As she laughed, told stories and listened, it was
clear that there is a lot more to running a shelter than purely
logistics.
Photos/captions/stories by Jennifer Howard/American Red Cross.
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