Greenport church provides hope, and a way out of the cold

On a recent night when temperatures dipped into the 30s, an ever-expanding line of people in need of shelter made their way to a parish hall at Greenport's St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church.

It's an unfortunate rite of late fall at the church, which each November begins its monthslong role as a refuge for people who would otherwise spend the harsh winter months living on the street.

"It’s like the battlefield," said Jim, who did not give his last name, of his daily challenge finding shelter.

The church providing him a place to sleep has restored his hope, Jim said.

"You tend to start believing in some kind of spirituality when you start going to places like this," he said. "We try to start changing our ways. The people here that help know exactly what the homeless are here for. There’s good people here."

The Greenport shelter named in honor of John Bendick — a Greenport resident and coordinator of the shelter who died in 2010 — is now in its 16th year. Working with Maureen's Haven, a Riverhead-based outreach organization, the shelter houses between 30 to 40 people every Tuesday, with volunteers providing them a warm, dry place to sleep as well as hot showers, meals, medical assistance and winter clothing.

Last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Father Piotr Narkiewicz, the church’s pastor, the shelter made the decision to open its doors for several more days during the week after similar facilities nearby were forced to close. With additional shelters reopening, the church returned to its Tuesday night schedule.

"We thought ‘What is the choice? To leave people outside, or to take a risk and serve them?’ " Narkiewicz said. "And then, what are the chances? If we protect ourselves with a mask and wash everything, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, we thought. Miraculously, nobody got sick. We were very blessed and our volunteers were very courageous to serve them."

Volunteers such as Alex Zimardo, 71, and Jim Defrancesco, 66, both of Greenport, agreed that despite challenges the pandemic posed, helping those less fortunate is still the most rewarding part of their work.

"Some of these people get by day-by-day, and it really comes down to helping people," said Defrancesco, who works security for the shelter. "That’s what is needed in this country, for more people to start thinking about helping others."

Zimardo, who helps set up the shelter with her husband, Bob, in the morning, said while the parish is small and in a modest community, she is awed by how much work people do to help those without a home.

"To see how much is being done in this smaller community of older people that don’t have a lot, and the respect they treat guests with," Zimardo said, "that, I’m constantly impressed by."