RICHMOND, Va. — This holiday season, Richmond Animal Care and Control isn't just hoping to help animals find their forever home.
The group is hoping to stock up on supplies to bring to the city's only walk-up shelter, located just a few doors down from RACC's location on Chamberlayne Avenue.
"Every year, we pick a human organization within the City of Richmond to support. Historically we've done Child Protective Services, we've done Adult Protective Services, then we've done Child Protective Services again," said RACC Executive Director Christie Chipps-Peters. "In conversation this year, we were trying to think about where did we want to direct our amazing following to sort of help out and build up?"
RACC landed on the city's shelter, which, through a partnership with the Salvation Army, offers 60 beds for men and 40 beds for women during the inclement weather season.
It comes at a time when the city's decision to allocate $2 million to expand RACC and purchase a new spot on Cary Street for the group has been heavily critiqued by some working with Richmond's homeless population.
"I've never seen this many children out in the cold. These are 9 and 10-year-old kids," said Rhonda Sneed with Blessing Warriors.
"They're getting worse," Sneed told CBS 6 in an interview last week.
"I love animals, we own animals," said Nancy Williams with 3Gifts2U and Next Church, which serves those experiencing homelessness or food insecurity on Richmond's Southside. "But, still, people outrank animals. Can you find us some money?"
Chipps-Peters says getting the new building was a five-year process.
RACC already provides temporary shelter for those who are currently expressing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Chipps-Peters said the expansion can allow the group to grow its services.
"Homeless people and homeless animals are not mutually exclusive. It's a conversation that involves both," Chipps-Peters said. "Our end goal, really, is when we have that new space, that this space has more opportunities for people who are in need, at risk. We want to be able to provide temporary housing for people who may be facing eviction, homelessness, incarceration, which we currently can't because we don't have the room, so the finite way of making that happen is to expand."
Chipps-Peters said the move was one that could ultimately save the city money.
"The building came available for sale very quickly, we saw it, and we were like, 'This would be a really smart decision for the city.' It's only $2 million, if we wait and don't jump on this opportunity and present it to council as an ask, we're going to be looking at like, a $5-10 million dollar price point for building something or retrofitting something in the next 5 years," she said. "Our counterparts in Henrico and Chesterfield are both building $15-17 dollar adoption centers so when we're looking at a price savings, I think it's easy to get caught up in the 'why' are they spending $2 million not on homeless people? But we are saving the city $14 million dollars by acquiring this space."
Chipps-Peters said RACC steadily works with people who are facing eviction and may need their animal to be temporarily housed at its facility.
"Same with incarceration," Chipps-Peters said. "It's a short time frame. So, they get locked up, it's three days, five days, seven days, until they can make bail, who takes care of their pets? We don't want people to have to give up animals that they love."
RACC says the homeless shelter is only requesting three items: instant oatmeal packets, instant hot cocoa packets and bar soap of any kind.
Anyone donating can bring items to RACC at 1600 Chamberlayne Avenue or order items on Amazon to be shipped directly to the shelter.
RACC plans to deliver donations on Dec. 20.
“It’s something you can go to the dollar store and do for under $10, and it can really make a difference. So we’re excited to help them," Chipps-Peters said.
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