By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – A Bloomington woman is being honored for her caring spirit is helping the homeless feel like they have a home.
Trudy Strand has been presented the Salvation Army of McLean County’s David Penn Memorial Volunteer of the Year award. She gives her time as a receptionist at the Safe Harbor shelter in Bloomington.
“I want to thank all of the individuals, the homeless people who let me into their hearts and lives and who trust me,” Strand said.
Development director Angie Fulton recalled during the holidays, Strand brought some holiday cheer to the shelter by bringing a keyboard to play Christmas music.
“It’s a tough time for people staying at the shelter, but Trudy makes them feel special, feel loved, feel like they have a nice play to go,” Fulton said. “We couldn’t do it without her, she’s so wonderful.”
Captain Paul James said some mistakenly figure Strand is drawing a paycheck as much as she’s there.
“Everybody assumes she is an employee of ours because she is at the front desk so many times,” James said. “The relationships she has with the men and women that come in for need, she treats them like family, she loves them like family.”
Strand started out volunteering at the Compassion Center, a day center for the homeless people in downtown Bloomington set up at Second Presbyterian Church, before Safe Harbor opened its new shelter.
“It’s very nice and important to me,” Strand said. “I love the homeless people.”
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
