Jackson Free Press

The Opportunity Center, Jackson's only daytime homeless shelter, will reopen later this month. Stewpot Community Services, which opened the shelter in May 2007, closed it April 2 due to a lack of outside funds.

Stewpot CEO Frank Spencer told the Jackson Free Press today that "two area foundations who want to remain anonymous" have pledged a total of $91,000 to Stewpot that will allow the center to reopen Nov. 22.

The donations amount to roughly half of the center's annual operating costs. Stewpot will continue to seek outside funds from private donors and state and local government to keep the center open beyond six months. Spencer is optimistic that Stewpot can raise the funds to keep Opportunity Center open for the long term.

"I expect the economy to get better, quite honestly," Spencer said. "I wasn't having trouble getting funding for it two and a half years ago, when it started."

Stewpot previously provided between one-fourth and one-third of the center's operating budget, with the rest coming from grants. The center closed earlier this year when Stewpot was unable to cover a drop in grant money with its own funds.

"We're not going to do any special fundraising for Opportunity Center," Spencer said. "We've got other ministries to run. What I'll be doing especially for Opportunity Center, is attempt to talk to the city about giving us some money, and also the state."

The center serves as a focal point for the city's homeless and for the various agencies that provide services to the homeless. The facility, located at Amite and Robinson streets, offers laundry and showers, along with access to phone, computers and mail, to nearly 175 men and women a day. It also serves as a pickup site for day labor.

Representatives from the Social Security Administration, state Health Department and Hinds Behavioral Health Services use the facility to meet with homeless clients that might otherwise be difficult to locate.

The center's first director, Heather Ivery, will leave her job as coordinator of the city's homeless program to take over as center director again.