FREE PEE, COFFEE, SNACK Then back to the cruise ship

Posted on 05/06/2016

This is an odd story. Cruise ship passengers have been stopping by an Alaska homeless shelter looking for a washroom. Having done the necessary they hang about for a free coffee and sometimes even a snack - but very few of them bother to make a donation towards the shelter.

First City Homeless Services chairwoman Evelyn Erbele told the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly this week, that if snacks are available, “they'll take the snack and they'll sit there and watch TV,” Erbele said. 

“It's called 'audacity,' isn't it?” Said Erbele. 

“It's a shelter, and we don't turn anybody away,” she told The Ketchikan Daily News. 

But Chris Alvarado, the shelter's services manager, said he sees why tourists come to the shelter, which is open from 08:00 to 16:00 six days a week. 

“Sometimes some of the stores are not open really early, (so) sometimes people will come up here and get coffee and just hang out,” Alvarado said. 

Alvarado said it doesn't bother him if people don’t leave a cash donation. 

“We are for the homeless, but we're also for the community, for anybody, who needs a safe place to stay,” he said. 

“This door is open for anybody who needs resources ... I just can't see myself turning somebody away for a cup of coffee even if they're not from here or they're using the bathroom or if they needed a break from walking around.” 

The shelter relies on donations and funding from Ketchikan and its borough. 

First City Homeless Services has a $77,635 budget this year and is requesting $14,000 from the borough, according to its application. 

Last year, the homeless shelter had 365 visitors. 

So, come on cruise ship passengers, rather than scoring a snack – put your hands in your pockets and make a donation, and cruise lines - a little help here would go a long way.