Advocacy Group Appeals to Donors to Press to Improve Conditions at Friendship Center Homeless Shelter
Dare to Struggle, an organization dedicated to resist and stop injustice and has been advocating for the homeless in New Britain for the past three years, held a press conference on Monday, September 15, 2025, in front of Thomaston Saving Bank’s branch, downtown New Britain. In its press release the group claimed that the Friendship Service Center (FSC) shelter on Arch Street has been “mismanaging, mistreating its clients while executives make 6-figure salaries.” In her opening statement, Kimberly, one of the organizers, explained:
“We’ve been hearing for years how they’ve been mistreating the homeless people…. There’s been rampant mistreatment. People being served raw and faulty foods to the point where it makes them sick, makes them go to the hospital. People being kicked out for reasons that are not clear to them…which results in them being kicked out and put on the streets. This way they’re perpetuating homelessness.”
The speaker further explained that her group tried to meet with FSC to relay the concerns of the complainers, but the FSC administration refused.
Alex, the following speaker, described how the group then tried to communicate these concerns to the major donors of FSC including Thomaston Saving Bank, American Savings Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, Connecticut Foodshare, and Farmington Bank Community Foundation but none have agreed to listen to these concerns. Alex stated:
“These donors may claim they’re serving the community and the greater good, but they are not, and the Friendship Center executives cannot argue that there is a lack of funds when their business partners continue to line their pockets.”
Lily, the third speaker, spelled out the demands of the group,
“Stop retaliating against residents and clients who speak up when something is wrong. Act on and investigate their complaints. Investigate staff members with complaints against them and fire repeat offenders. Take complaints seriously and properly and vet who you hire. Move funds from the directors six figure salaries to programs for the homeless and increase pay for frontline staff… Treat residents like human beings.”
Jesse, the fourth speaker, who lived in the FSC shelter a few years ago, described the conditions in the shelter as poor and compared them to prison. He also noticed a large turnover among the staff.
The group also read a testimony from Elijah who recently left the homeless shelter. Elijah wrote:
“The Friendship Center looks good from the outside but inside it is a completely different story – plumbing is constantly broken; showers leak; and toilets overflow. The heat was broken during a heat wave turning rooms into 90° ovens… Residents are forced to sleep on unused donated mattresses infested with bed bugs. Problem are ignored for months. Donations meant for residents are taken by staff first. New clothing, hygiene products and even food never make it to people who actually need them. Staff pick through donations. They take what they want and leave scraps for their residents.”
The Dare to Struggle group vowed to continue fight for the rights of the people who use the homeless shelter on Arch Street to live in a safe and healthy environment and be treated with dignity.
