St. Benedict’s Homeless Shelter has been a vital part of the Owensboro community over the last decade, providing the homeless community with several different services and ways to better themselves.
Executive Director Harry Pedigo, homelessness is only a temporary experience and it’s personal to the individual. Since the time when he considered himself homeless, Pedigo said homelessness has changed and he is sure that St. Benedict’s has adapted to meet the current population.
Pedigo said the homeless population of the city tends to be veterans, pregnant women and mothers, and people who recently had a foreclosure or became unemployed, among other things.
St. Benedict’s began as a men’s only shelter and developed into a multi-building and multi-service nonprofit. Now after 16 years in the community, Pedigo says 60% of the people they serve are Daviess County residents.
The men’s building serves roughly 500 men currently. Throughout the pandemic, they served 425 men from 100 different zip codes. The 40% of non-Daviess County residents come from across the state and bordering counties.
Pedigo said that on average people tend to stay at St. Benedict’s for 30 days. The process, Pedigo said, is immediate.
“I need a bed,” is typically a phrase Pedigo hears first when someone walks through the doors.
Once a person has come in and settled in, a case manager is there to assess them and see if there are any other needs the organization can help with. The assessment is to figure out the person’s reason for being there and if they need aid in any other form.
If any further need is found and requested, they will provide them with the proper aid and even pay expenses if they need help, with medication or any form of treatment.
Pedigo said their women’s and children’s house served 134 women and families last year.
“That’s really extraordinary because COVID stopped a lot and we had to stop taking individuals from outside of our area because we didn’t know what COVID was going to do,” Pedigo said.
The St. Benedict’s women’s, children’s and family center is dedicated to providing day services to help people whether it be hygiene, connections to new employment, or working out bills to get the owner back on track.
There is also a veterans-only housing center that allows veterans a chance to live in a group setting rather than larger settings like retirement homes.
“We try to be a voice for the homeless,” Pedigo said.
By doing this Pedigo makes it a mission to rid the stigma behind homelessness and homeless individuals. St. Benedict’s also accepts donations and volunteer work from the community, but Pedigo said forming a relationship that helps the residents is what they view as the best way to serve their population.
