Study ahead on expanded Survival Center

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on September 05, 2008

AMHERST - Planning for a new and bigger building that could house the Amherst Survival Center within the next three- to five years will begin with a feasibility study this fall.

Located in the basement of a former school building in North Amherst, the current center is serving an expanding number of clients and offering an increasing amount of programs from its small space, said director Cheryl Zoll.

"It's grown a lot in the last 30 years," said Zoll, pointing out that about 100 people now use the center daily.

The feasibility study is expected to examine the center's needs in a new building, define what a renovated program would look like and determine an appropriate location for the facility. The study will cost between $10,000 and $15,000 and might be completed by local architecture firm Kraus Fitch, Zoll said.

Three primary services are currently offered at the center: The soup kitchen portion of the site serves hot lunches weekdays, except Wednesdays, from noon to 1 p.m. The food pantry provides a 50-pound bag of groceries for families of four once a month. And the free store is a place where clothing and other goods can be picked up.

Zoll estimates that the meal site has seen a 40 percent increase in clients in the last year, while use of the pantry is up by 30 percent.

Besides these staples, other program offerings such as medical clinics, on-site social workers and showers are offered.

But the limited space means rooms are serving several functions simultaneously. This includes Zoll's own office, which is used for some health clinics. More space would allow two doctors to run the clinics, seat more people for lunch and offer an expanded lineup of programs.

The center serves a number of groups, including homeless people, low-income senior citizens and families living paycheck to paycheck. "Accommodating them in space like this is a challenge," Zoll said.

While there are positives from interaction of people in the small space, including volunteers from a wide range of income levels, there is also occasional tension. This has prompted the center to begin twice-monthly family nights, with dinner for families and a chance for the young children to have fun.

For programs that need more space, Zoll said she has arranged to use the parish center at North Congregational Church across North Pleasant Street.

Though in North Amherst, Zoll said the center is easily accessible for residents. "The current location is actually good. It's easy to get to because it's on the bus line," Zoll said.

Zoll said if there were more space, she would like to offer job training and job skills readiness programs. A long-term goal would be to transform the center into a social services center offering a host of programs.

<strong>Town shares effort</strong>

For Town Manager Larry Shaffer, planning for a new location for the expanded shelter gives the town the opportunity to become a more full-fledged partner with the facility.

The question, Shaffer said, is whether the town's ownership of the current building, as well as the subsidy it provides annually toward its work, is consistent with the need in the community.

Zoll said Amherst has been a good partner. "The town has been very supportive of the center all along," Zoll said. "It feels that we are at a point where we have a common vision where the center should go."

Shaffer said a feasibility study would help assess the needs. The current building, which also houses the Head Start program on the upper floor, is expected to undergo an estimated $480,000 in renovations through Community Development Block Grant funding. But that is not a solution to the center's long-term needs.

With the study under way, the center can explore fundraising and prepare to take on the challenges, Zoll said.

Shaffer said he is inspired by the work of the Amherst Survival Center team. "They're as excited about this as I am," Shaffer said.

Zoll said it has been nice to work with Shaffer and she appreciates the recognition of their work coming from his office.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.