Seaford private school staff, parents speak out over planned homeless shelter next door

SEAFORD, Del. – Some parents and staff at a private school and church in Seaford are outraged and spoke out at a meeting Monday night opposing efforts to open a new homeless shelter next door.

“We don’t know the backgrounds of the people who will be leaving there,” explained The Cross Christian Academy Administrator and CEO Timothy Porter. “We don’t know if they’re a pedophile, we don’t know if they have child abuse, or anything of that nature on their record.”

Those are just some of the concerns that parents and staff at The Cross Christian Academy have after it was learned that Redemption City, a local non-profit that offers sanctuary and assistance for the area’s homeless population, will be opening up a new shelter right next door to the school.

“My question is – why there?,” Timothy Porter asked. “With so many vacant buildings around the city, so many different places, why there?”

The school, located on Holly Street in Seaford, saw its chapel packed with dozens of concerned parents and staff who turned out to have their voices heard and their questions answered by Mayor Matt MacCoy and Redemption City’s founder and executive director, Nikki Gonzalez.

Among those concerns was that of the students who have struggled with the impact of addiction in their own families. The school’s Assistant Administrator, Jennifer Porter, brought up that concern and explained how some of their students have a traumatic past that could be triggering with the shelter being so close.

“A lot of our children have already experienced alcohol abuse in their family,” Jennifer Porter explained. “Drug abuse in their family, and being exposed to that could cause triggers that they don’t need to experience.”

Nearly everyone who spoke, most in opposition of the shelter opening, also recognized the great work that Redemption City does and the need for it, but they also made it clear they don’t want it in their own backyard, so close to their children.

“We all want to help and make sure that this community is in good standings, and that the members in the community are being well taken care of,” Cross Christian Academy teacher Katrina Bailey explained. “But, this issue is, does it have to just be in our backyard?”

It was those concerns that Gonzalez sought to relieve at the meeting. Before it even started, she provided attendees with the rules and boundaries that she sets for her guests, and then spoke at length on the steps she takes to ensure safety, including having her guests leave in the morning before children arrive at the school.

“A lot of things in place, safeguards in place, that hopefully will address any of these issues that they brought up,” Gonzalez said. “I’m even working with them, I’ll let everybody leave at 6:30 instead of 7, so that way we’re out of there before their kids come in for the school day.”

A variance was recently passed by the city’s Board of Adjustments that paved the way for the shelter to open.

Seaford Mayor Matt MacCoy was at the meeting and said he understands the concerns of those at The Cross Christian Academy, but he said he also understands that the area’s homeless needs more help, and that he supports Redemption City’s efforts.

Redemption City already operates several shelters in the Seaford-area in addition to the one set to open up near the school. We recently got the chance to speak to residents and tour one of the shelters.