Transitions DMC Takes Step Toward Opening Shelter With Donation Sale

By Beacon Staff

A crowd of bargain hunters visited Transitions DMC in Burlington on Saturday. The reason: A yard sale featuring a variety of unique items sold for a good cause.

The Transitions DMC homeless shelter is closed due to ongoing renovations, and executive director Craig Fenton had to clear items out of the building to make room for the work. Unlike most yard sales, organizers asked only for donations.

Transitions DMC recently received funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Iowa Financing Authority. The funds are available as part of the federal response to homelessness that has worsened with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and is effective until the end of 2021.

In March, days after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19, Transitions DMC began placing area homeless people at the Quality Inn and Super 8 motels in Burlington. With the help of local donors, the organization was able to house 56 people for 735 nights over 10 weeks for a cost of $44,485.

The remaining $30,000 of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan money is being used to finish the renovation of the shelter building at 515 S. Main St. in Burlington.

“We have most of our needs met to open our doors to 12 regular nightly guests, except we need bunk bed frames for 24 college twin sized mattresses,” Fenton said in late July. “These beds will be rotated in use to control COVID-19 and other diseases like flu.”

There is no target date for reopening, but Transitions DMC does maintain a network of housing options that include local landlords, hotels, and private housing sources, as well as partnering agencies such as the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Community Action of Southeast Iowa and the Burlington Homeless Shelter.

Photo by William Smith

Locals browse items for sale at the sale Saturday hosted by Transitions DMC in Burlington.