Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center Partners With Maureen's Haven To Provide Shelter for Homeless Community Members This Winter

When Bonnie Michelle Cannon oversees a new initiative at the Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center, where she is the executive director, her goal is often the same, no matter what segment of the community she’s serving: as time goes on, to see less and less of the individuals and families who come their way.

“My hope is that I don’t see a person back with me again — meaning they’ve gotten so much support and resources and help that they’re able to get out of the crisis they’re in,” Cannon said earlier this week. “We’re here to lift people up so they’re always getting better.”

To that end, the center will soon begin a new partnership with another like-minded organization.

On Wednesday, November 1, the center will open its doors to host overnights for homeless community members, through the emergency winter shelter program run by Maureen’s Haven, a Riverhead-based nonprofit that has served homeless people in the area for more than 20 years.

Maureen’s Haven partners with several churches and volunteer organizations from Riverhead to Southampton to give undomiciled community members a warm, clean and safe place to spend the night during the cold months of the year, from November through April, also providing meals and other essential services.

Starting on November 1, Maureen’s Haven will use the former Head Start building, which is currently unoccupied, on the center’s property on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, allowing guests to spend the night on Wednesdays and Sundays through the month of April. They will arrive by bus from Riverhead and will be provided not only a warm place to sleep but dinner and also a bagged lunch for the following day.

The center recently celebrated the opening of a brand new, much larger building, allowing it to expand the kind of support and services it can provide for people of all ages. Cannon said partnering with Maureen’s Haven was something she had in mind even before construction of the new building was complete.

“This was always something I planned on doing,” she said, adding that she met with representatives from Maureen’s Haven during construction of the new building, giving them a walk-through, wanting their input specifically so that the partnership could effectively meet the needs of the people Maureen’s Haven serves. “We’re a community center, and who we serve are those who are underserved and marginalized, so partnering with them just made sense.”

In addition to providing the basics of food, shelter, a bathroom with a shower, and a washer and dryer for cleaning clothes, Cannon is hoping the center can fulfill other needs for the guests who come to stay during the winter months.

The additional space in the new buildings means the center can host classes and workshops that can benefit many community members, from workforce development training seminars and credit counseling services, to bringing in coats or winter boots that those in need can peruse, find the right size and take home, or even bringing in a beautician or barber to provide haircuts.

Dan O’Shea, the executive director of Maureen’s Haven, said he is thrilled about the new partnership with the center.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to have the center partner with us and join the Maureen’s Haven family,” he said. “In many ways, this is really a lifesaving program, but since the beginning of the pandemic, we have kind of struggled to have host sites willing to accommodate us. Thankfully, that has started to come back over time, but this gives us a wonderful opportunity to not only create a new partnership but have a greater presence farther out on the East End.”

O’Shea said the former Head Start building is a particularly good fit for the winter shelter program. Because it is currently not being used for other programming, it means Maureen’s Haven staff won’t have to do such intensive breakdown and setup of services and amenities each night it has guests in the building.

“This is a true testament of agencies coming together to serve a greater good,” O’Shea said. “Everyone at the center is very welcoming, and we are certain our guests will have a loving place to stay during the cold winter months. We are very excited about this partnership, and we look forward to serving those most in need in our community.”

Anyone interested in volunteering to help during the nights the Center hosts Maureen’s Haven guests can contact info@bhccrc.org or call (631) 537-0616.