Valley Supportive Housing to Screen Documentary on Homelessness Among Older Adults in Staunton, Virginia

Valley Supportive Housing, a Staunton nonprofit, began about 15 years ago after the renovation of the Stonewall Jackson Hotel displaced many people in need. Dr. Elizabeth Cianciolo of the organization, who is described as a board member in one report, said that older adults and veterans are having a hard time finding affordable housing. Report 2 describes Valley Supportive Housing as a nonprofit that provides housing and support for individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness.

The organization is partnering with Humans for Housing, an Oregon nonprofit, to screen “No Place to Grow Old,” a 45-minute documentary. According to Report 1, the film focuses on Oregon but also reflects local trends in housing insecurity among the elderly. Report 2 says the documentary examines the growing crisis of senior homelessness in Portland, Oregon.

Report 1 gives the first screening as Thursday, October 15, at 6:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton. It gives the second screening as Sunday, October 15, at 3 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church in Staunton. Report 2 gives the same Thursday, October 15, time and location for the first screening, but it lists the second screening as Sunday, October 25, at 3 p.m. at Central Methodist Church. The reports agree that both screenings are free and open to the public, an everyday picture of hospitality toward neighbors (Matthew 25:35).

Cianciolo said, as reported by Report 2, that Staunton faces a significant homeless problem that may not be widely recognized because there is no large visible encampment in the city. The screenings will be followed by panel discussions led by Lydia Campbell from Valley Community Services Board and Valley Homeless Connection, according to Report 2, with representatives of Valley Mission participating.

Report 1 says a photography exhibit by Chris Lassiter of the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge documents unhoused individuals in Staunton. Report 2 says that for the second screening, the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge will display its photojournalism project “This is Home” on housing insecurity.