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poor, says Dee Kennedy, the director of residences for the Kitchener YWCA. *‘People don‘t have to be poor to be homeless. Things can drastically change today in 24 hours. You can be comfortâ€" able and financially sound and someâ€" YWCA seeking shelter: the loss of a job, a family argument, uncontrolled emoâ€" tional upset, family upheaval that causes one parent to leave until things get settled down again stances which bring people to the door at 84 Frederick St. in Kitchener. A widow may sell her family home and not be able to afford other accomodation in the area, for instance. ‘‘People don‘t always plan ahead," says Kennedy. ‘"‘They know a crisis is coming, but they don‘t plan for it. They suddenly find themselives homeless." Women who devote their whole life to raising a family and caring for a husâ€" band can find themselves with problems in old age, said Kennedy. thing can happen." ‘"‘We have five women here now that are classified as preâ€"seniors and they‘ve seen it. They really haven‘t got job skills because they spent their entire life looking after their family." Sometimes widows facing a future of no job, no family, and no home are hospitalized for emotional trauma, said After treatment, they have nowhere to go. A variety of support services in the area "try to help them get back out there". Often, they end up at the "Y". Despite the world attention brought to there are still homeless people every where â€" including Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo. year we‘ve served over 600," said Kenâ€" nedy. At least 40 were from Waterloo. _ The YWCA figures include women and Aâ€"VV answers YWCA appeal for funds International Year of the Homeless â€" from her apparently desperate circumâ€" stances when she came to the Kitchener YWCA in August 1983. Sherk‘s marriage had disintegrated when her husband walked out. "I couldn‘t keep up with the rent," recalls the Waterloo native. "Ontario Housing put me in here and told me they could get me (government housing) right away. They couldn‘t. I waited nine Sherk is now 36. She has long blond hair, worn in a ponytail, a warm smile that seems never to quit, and wears a Brenda Sherk has come a long way Putting her life back together sent of Dee Kennedy, director of the Kitchener YWCA residence says the Christmas season is particularly difficult for those seeking shelter at the residence. Many choose to sleep away Christmas, she says. Housing needed for homeless of Kâ€"W cross on a chain over her casual clothes. daughter 10 years old. While the daughâ€" ter stayed with Sherk at the YWCA, the son stayed at the House of Friendship Sherk visited him every day she could. There was one bright spot in her life. The YWCA hired Sherk as a housekeepâ€" er in the residence. It gave her stability, money, and a chanece to start putting her life back together. â€" o "It meant a lot, considering I have a hard time finding a job," she recalls. Jobs are hard to come by for Sherk because of illness â€" she suffers from "I had other jobs, but I couldn‘t keep The Hidden Minority A special appeal by the YWCA to raise $106,000 for renovations for the 64â€"bed residence seems to Dee Kennedy, director of Resiâ€" dence and Food services, said well children find shelter within the Frederick Street hostel, the largâ€" est in the region. Kennedy said the YMCA is staffed 24 hours a day and open for emergency shelâ€" ter at any time. them because I didn‘t tell them what I was on my job application. When they found out I got fired." _ _ caused Sherk to withdraw socially, too. When new to the YWCA "I kept to myself because of my seizures. I didn‘t know anybody. I didn‘t know how they would react." After nine months, the Sherk family reâ€"united, without the father, at Brenâ€" da‘s parents. Today, the son is living with his girlfriend, and the daughter is living with her father. Sherk, dimhyiné;lbro'od smile. â€" Her job at the CA is now fullâ€"time ‘"We‘re still getting The women‘s shelter takes woâ€" men over 16 and single mothers with children (boys to age 10). Three meals a day are provided, Kennedy said. Payment is on a sliding scale. An employment councillior works with women on social assistance. Recreation and Life skillsâ€"including social activiâ€" ties are offered, and supportive councilling is available. The campaign has become more important due to boiler problems at the YMCA, problems which have occurred often enough for an evacuation plan to be made. The WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30, 1987 â€" PAGE 3 says helped at the House of Friendship, also located in Kitchener. Most of the people do not stay long. Some, such as the "bag ladies" (Kenâ€" nedy dislikes the label) hang out on the street all summer, and come in when it gets too cold. Waterloo has at least one bag lady, says Kennedy. While Waterloo‘s bag lady did not want to be interviewed, Kennedy said that she was once "well off", but several misfortunes in rather quick succession changed her life path dramatically. Kennedy wonders whether homelessâ€" ness will get worse in this area. She recalls a recent visit to Toronto where her husband was shocked at the site of people living in the streets, lining up at factories to get castâ€"away boxes which serve as homes for a week. Kennedy speaks of people huddled in subway vents to snatch the escaping warmth, and fires in alleyâ€"ways circled by street people desperately trying to keep from freezing to death. Is this the future for Kitchenerâ€"Waterâ€" and, says Sherk, she‘s learned another important skill from the "Y": "to be more sociable and outgoing"‘. Dee Kennedy, the director of resiâ€" dences at the YWCA, says Sherk has been very valuable to the hostel in helping residents with their "life skills", including helping prepare them for job At the end of January, Sherk hopes to move into her own apartment. "I‘m a little nervous. There won‘t be anybody there to talk to." Her face lights up in another big smile. ‘"But then, when I‘ve finished work, sometimes I‘ll just go over to mom‘s for ‘"What needs to be done is we definiteâ€" ly need more adequate, affordable housâ€" ing," said Kennedy. ‘"We need to be creating housing specifically for these people." It‘s a problem that needs to be addressed at both the local and provinâ€" cial level for lasting results, she adds. Meanwhile, the YWCA continues to treat the symptoms, if not the disease. The Christmas season is especially hard for both the staff and the residents at the hostel. have reâ€"entered the community return to try and raise spirits. The next day, "many choose to sleep Christmas away," said Kennedy. "You want to gather them all up and take them home, but it‘s something you can‘t loo0? "It‘s a season that makes it sadder," said Kennedy. "Those that stay in Christmas Eve have no other place to Christmas Eve is spent eating, and "This is their home." the heating system at a cost which Hulene Montgomery, exâ€" ecutive director, has estimated at $200,000 to $300,000. hostel has been advised to replace Other necessary repairs include replacing some wiring, improving security and access for wheelâ€" chairs. More fire safety measures, including building extra exits must be taken. Lulu‘s Roadhouse. Quarters for Sheiter houses are