She Works in a Homeless Shelter, and She Lives in One, Too
Many employees of New York’s homeless shelters are themselves in precarious economic situations, taking on multiple jobs, working overtime and struggling to find their own homes.
Amber Drummond, a security guard at a homeless shelter in Queens, also lives in a shelter because, she says, she has been unable to find housing she can afford. Credit.Sarah Blesener for The New York Times
April 16, 2021Updated 9:00 a.m. ET
At the end of a 16-hour double shift at a homeless shelter in Queens, Amber Drummond, a security guard, was desperate to relax. But Ms. Drummond said she shared a room with a woman who was messy and constantly on her phone.
By Clodagh McGowan Queens
SHARE
Amber Drummond returns home sixteen hours after she leaves. Home is a women’s shelter on 148th Street in Jamaica, Queens.
Showing us her living space through her phone, Drummond says some residents have chipped in to make it feel more comfortable like buying a shower curtain and a bath mat for the shared bathroom. But some purchases, like hand soap during a pandemic, are more essential.
What You Need To Know
Amber Drummond, a security guard at a Queens homeless shelter, is homeless herself
Drummond works for the Acacia Network, a non-profit social services provider that operates shelters for the city