I have been volunteering downtown at Community House, the men's homeless shelter, for about a year. I have found it to be not only extremely rewarding, but in some ways a very pleasant surprise. In particular I was surprised that the homeless men living there do not look any different from the so-called general population. If you see a man on the street panhandling and looking dirty and disheveled, it's a safe bet that he does not live at Community House.

In order to stay there, the men must keep themselves and their clothes clean, and present a plan as to how they intend to regain their independence. There are social workers and other professionals there to help them. Walking into the building, the most striking thing is that there isn't anything striking about it! People are courteous, neat and clean, and just going about their business.

However, the Old Municipal Building is too small and was not designed to take in homeless men. This spring the Town Council will vote on a proposal to build a new Community House facility on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The new building is specifically designed to support a housing program that helps to transition men from homelessness to self-sufficiency.

In contrast to my positive experience as a volunteer, I have been disturbed by the fear expressed by some people about the proposed move. In my opinion, everyone would be better off if people stopped letting fear drive their choices and start finding out the facts. One way to do this is to attend the public hearing at Town Hall on Monday, March 21, at 7 p.m.

Rhoda Ruttenberg

Carrboro