ASHLAND, Ore. – A few Ashland hotels are opening up some unoccupied rooms to Ashland’s most vulnerable population.
Ashland homeless man, Tom, has been living at the Carlisle Garden Suites for a couple weeks now.
He says, “One thing about this particular community because in that time that we’re having all of this crisis and all that, it’s that everybody has been pulling it together.”
The Inn is one of three Ashland hotels partnering with ‘Options for Helping Residents of Ashland’ also known as, OHRA, to make sure local homeless are taken care of, since the city’s lone shelter closed last month.
“I feel very strongly that right now we need to be sheltering all of those people,” said Linda Reppond, Owner of Carlisle Garden Suites
She closed up shop a month ago due to coronavirus. Soon after OHRA reached out asking to get discounted rooms for people like Tom. She agreed to help.
“You know I don’t think I did anything particularly extraordinary. I did what human decency calls for, to give what I have in a time of need,” said Reppond.
Right now her inn is completely full. She even extended their stay through April.
“I can do this. You know, my business is empty. It’s not like they’re competing with beds that are paying full price. I have the space,” said Reppond.
In the process, Reppond says she’s found her perception of Ashland’s homeless population change.
“Really it has for me broken all of the stereotypes that I might have had or that my staff might have had about what living with homeless people is like because they’ve just been incredibly grateful,” said Reppond.
She’s now encouraging other hotels to step up and help because she says taking care of people like Tom is more important than ever right now.
Ashland Hills Hotel and Rodeway Inn are also donating space for Ashland’s homeless community.
If you or someone you know in Ashland need resources contact ‘Options for Helping Residents of Ashland’ at 541-631-2235.
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