Serving Our Neighbors in Silver Spring
Earlier this summer, a tragedy in our community provided a stark reminder of how vulnerable some of our neighbors are. Four individuals experiencing homelessness who were sleeping outside at Veterans Plaza in downtown Silver Spring were attacked by a group of six people. The victims sustained injuries, some requiring hospitalization. Our Director of Homeless Services Liz Krueger shared this insight: “We are doing everything we can to support the victims who are reporting both physical and emotional trauma from the incident. Right now, Interfaith Works is working with our provider partners such as Shepherd's Table, Pathways, and Bethesda Cares to spread the message about safety to our unhoused community members as there is reason to believe that this is an escalating pattern.”
This disturbing act feels personal because we serve many neighbors experiencing vulnerabilities in downtown Silver Spring through our programs at Progress Place, which is home to the IW Shelter at Progress Place, the IW Drop-In Center and IW Residences. Our partners at Shepherd’s Table provide meals every day to the community. The IW Shelter at Progress Place is a year-round, all-gender emergency shelter that expands to accommodate more people during extreme weather. The IW Drop-In Center offers a safe space to be during the day for adults, along with laundry, showers, case management, a computer lab, therapeutic and recreational group activities. The Interfaith Works Residences program provides permanent supportive housing in private living quarters for 21 people who have previously experienced homelessness. These services are all located in the same building and provide refuge and community for people experiencing homelessness. This model is unique and the only one of its kind on the East Coast Progress Place is modeled after the Stout Street program in Denver – which also is a co-located center of nonprofit organizations serving unhoused neighbors.
Progress Place supports around a hundred people every day in downtown Silver Spring. Without these vital services, many of our clients would not have access to the most essential things. Our doors are open to all, but we respect the agency of each individual. The reality is that some people are not comfortable coming inside for a variety of reasons. Our staff is committed to meeting people where they are.
After reading about this incident, you may feel powerless and upset. You may wonder what you can do. We ask you to consider investing in efforts to meet the needs of our unhoused population, supporting our work at Progress Place through volunteering, leading activities, providing fellowship, and making financial gifts. Your support not only helps us foster a safe environment for everyone in our neighborhoods; it also helps send the message that we need to do more to end homelessness all together. I hope this community continues to support and advocate for all our neighbors no matter what situation they are in.
We also ask for your help in identifying the perpetrators of this violent attack. The Montgomery County Police Department has released a surveillance video to help with identification: click here to view. Anyone with information is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD, website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org; click on the “www.p3tips.com” link (top of the page), or call 1-866-411-8477. Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000. Tips remain anonymous.