Mahaska County Homelessness Coalition hears from Samaritan Inn residents

Homelessness Coalition members from left to right, Robin Pfalzfraf, Erin Sherwood, Kay Hamilton

Coalition votes on removal of owner of Samaritan Inn

The Mahaska County Homelessness Coalition heard from two former residents of the Samaritan Inn.

The homeless shelter closed it’s doors when former owner Joyce Wheeler lost the property for failing to pay property taxes. When the shelter closed for good on February 4th, 7 residents still lived at the facility.

All remaining residents found places to stay by that evening with the assistance of the Homelessness Coalition.

Monday at 4:00 p.m. the Homelessness Coalition had their monthly meeting in the conference room, on the 3rd floor, of the library. At that time, two of the former residents took the time to further explain life at the shelter.

Jeramie Achey was the first former resident to speak of his experience while staying at the inn. Achey, who had some financial resources when he first arrived to the Samaritan Inn, explained what happened once those funds were gone. He said, “When my money ran out, I was in the fear of getting evicted or kicked out.” “She never once tried to help me save money or to get my own place.” Achey said.

Robin Pfalzgraf of the Homelessness Coalition asked Achey how long it had been since he lived at the facility. “I’ve been out about a year.” Achey explained.

Achey stated that during his time at the shelter, Wheeler had collected nearly $5,000 dollars from him. Achey further explained that he had no fear of eviction before his financial resources were depleted. “I cussed and swore and did all the things that your not suppose to do at the Samaritan Inn, but once I ran out of money, them problems were an issue. I was afraid of eviction.”

Jeramie Achey speaks with the MCHC on February 14, 2011

When asked if she had attempted to help him find a job or housing, Achey said “No, never ever brought up.”

When asked if Achey had seen trouble starting at the facility before his departure, a year before it’s closing, he mentioned the letter to the editor she had written asking the community for $100,000. “Before that she never really talked about the troubles, she always said it was in God’s hands.” Achey stated.

Achey was then asked if she asked any of the churches in the area for donations. He responded saying, “We were forced to write envelopes down; go through the phone book and write envelopes, write addresses down for churches in the counties and communities all the way up to Des Moines.” Board members then asked Achey what he meant by “forced”. “Well if you didn’t do it, there would be repercussions.” Achey explained. He said, “The letters were like the letter to the editor, saying that they needed money.”

When asked about the letter and if it contained her claiming to be a non-profit, Achey explained that she never once said anything about non-profit.

“We were forced to go to different organizations while I stayed there.” Achey said. He explained how they were forced to go to General Relief to get vouchers for their rooms there. “We were forced to call you guys”(Homelessness Coalition). “Then when I was there, we were all forced to go get heating assistance checks and we were forced to sign them or, you know, get the cash and fork it over.” Achey stated, “I kept mine and moved.”

Pfalzgraf asked Achey what happened if you did not give her the check. Achey answered,”People got kicked out over it. Thrown out onto the streets.” Pfalzgraf asked if SEIDA had explained what the intention of the money was. “They said because our electric was included in our rent that that check was ours to do with our wishing. And once Joyce found out we were getting this $385.00 back, you had to give it to her or otherwise you would be kicked out.” Achey said.

“I know that different churches and organizations donated food to the Samaritan Inn for, they were under the impression, the use of the residents. Did you have access to that food?” was a question asked of Achey. Achey responded,”That’s kinda a tough question because there was stuff when I first moved in. There was a guy brought, from a church here in town, two pickup loads full of canned goods and stuff. And that all got locked into the big meeting room in which I, never once, ever known her to, ever, get any out. But I think a lot of it that was donated, like perishables and stuff, all got used up by the Samaritan Inn. Canned goods and stuff, like we got some hams in one time, somebody donated probably 20 or 25 hams. She [Wheeler] took all that home to put it in her freezer.”

“When you moved out did she help you with any furniture or if you had your own stuff there, were you able to take it with you? How did it work when you moved out?” Achey answered, “Basically you leave with what you brought, she doesn’t help. But she will sell you anything down at the store, but she won’t give it to ya.”

Pfalzgraf asked Achey, “What advice would you give us (Homelessness Coalition) to let people in your position, that you were in a year and a half ago to two years ago; How could we make sure those (people) know we’re here to help?” Achey replied “Are you guys in the phone book?” “Probably not.” was the reply. “I’d put yourself in the phone book.” “A lot of people that are homeless deal with depression or some kind of mental illness. I would talk to the surrounding psychiatric places and let ’em know about you guys, because that’s how I found out about Samaritan Inn.”

Pfalzgraf then asked for more advice from Achey. “Any advice you would give us on ways we could have helped you, short of you staying there a year and a half. I mean could we have, should we have, hind sight being twenty-twenty, should we have had somebody going in there from the Homelessness Coalition?” Achey responded saying, “That wouldn’t have been such a bad idea Robin, to have somebody come in and say that hey, our goal is for you to get down into the community instead of just hey, you got a room, stay as long as you want.”

When asked what Wheeler used the money for that she received, Achey said, “I seen this with my own eyes. She used some of the money from the store for her rentals. You know that’s supposed to have been for keeping the Samaritan Inn going.”

The board asked for an example of this. Achey stated, “She had a water heater go bad.” “She went down to the store and got what money they’d made from the store, and went to Menards to get a water heater. I had to help her install it.”

The board asked Achey if she paid him for helping to install the water heater? “No, she didn’t pay nobody.” Achey stated.

I asked Achey, since there were no repercussions what he would like to tell her face to face. “I thought the place all revolved around money.” “If you pay rent, you were able to do what you wanted, when you wanted. If you didn’t pay rent, the rules were strict towards you.” “Once my money ran out I was treated differently.” Achey said.

Lisa McCoy also spoke with MCHC at the meeting on February 14, 2011

Lisa McCoy visited next with the Homelessness Coalition board, telling of her experiences while living at the Samaritan Inn.

We had previously spoken with Lisa on the final day the Samaritan Inn was open. You can read that article by clicking on this LINK.

“You said you worked 55 to 60 hours per week. How much did you get paid per hour?” was the next question asked of McCoy. “Between my husband and I it would be 24 hours a week we would have to put in, volunteer hours put in to cover our rent, and it was 3 to 5 dollars an hour because it was a charitable organization.”

McCoy confirmed what Achey had stated earlier about funds being taken from the store. “I know for a fact my husband worked several rental houses for her, several.”

McCoy had recently started receiving disability. When McCoy got her first disability check, she says that she gave Wheeler $500.00 or more from that check. Before leaving [Samaritan Inn], she had given Wheeler nearly $2000.00 in total.

McCoy stated that there were large inconsistencies between what Wheeler would tell the residents the utility bills were, and what she was told, by Mid-American Energy, that the average bills were when she contacted them herself.

Hamilton asked,”Did you come out of Samaritan Inn having gained anything, really, or do you feel like you were….” “Yeah” McCoy says, before the question was even finished. Do you feel like you were used and abused even more?” Hamilton asks. “Oh yeah, I was taken advantage of. “I was very much.” McCoy answered.

When asked what happened with the food at the Inn when it closed, McCoy said, “She loaded it in her van and that semi that was there.”

A letter was prepared in advance to be sent to Wheeler, if she was voted off the Homelessness Coalition on February 14.

Dear Joyce,

The Mahaska County Homelessness Coalition met on February 14, 2011 at the Oskaloosa Public Library for our monthly meeting. At that meeting the coalition membership discussed if you would be in violation of our bylaws Article 5, Section 5.03 as follows.

Resignation and Removal of Officers or Agents:

• Any officer, agent or employee elected or appointed by the membership may be removed by the membership whenever in it’s judgment the best interest of the corporation will be served by his or her removal. But removal does not prejudice the contract rights if any, of the person removed. Election or appointment of an agent does not of itself create a contract right. Further an officer may resign at any time by delivering notice to the corporation.

It is by majority vote that the coalition decided that due to your lack of forthrightness and commitments that you have made to the coalition with regards to helping those that would be homeless, along with your lack of honesty with the coalition, that we have elected to vote you off the MCHC membership.

If you have questions please feel free to contact me.

There was a question if she had been made aware of the days meeting, and Pfalzgraf noted that she was sent notice of the meeting like everything else. One other member stated she had been to every other meeting besides this one.

Pfalzgraf made the motion for “All of those in favor of voting Joyce Wheeler off the Homelessness Coalition per Article 5 Section 5.03 please signify by say Aye.”

The vote was unanimous of all those in attendance on removing Joyce Wheeler from membership of MCHC.