Williams-Livesay coordinates 57 churches to provide shelter and meals to the homeless from November to April for Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless Inc. She recruits host churches to house anywhere from 25 to 105 homeless men and women and also provides overnight chaperones and supplies. It can be a complicated task, since churches may be willing to take anywhere from two nights to 10 during the 170 nights of the cold season. Williams-Livesay also finds support churches or local companies to plan, prepare and serve each night’s hot meal. Some guests stay in the shelter only for a short time until they get back on their feet; others are elderly or mentally disabled and will use the services for many years.
