Everyone Needs a Home

By Nancy Dewar

We often write about rescue dogs needing homes but there are many people in our communities that need homes, as well. I recently had the opportunity to visit with Will Arvelo, Executive Director of Cross Roads House in Portsmouth, and learned so much. Will is not only leading a non-profit that provides transitional shelter to the homeless, but he also will be providing a home to the new rescue dog that he and his wife plan on getting this spring.

Will became the Executive Director of Cross Roads House in September 2021. This new professional endeavor followed his 30 years in higher education (ten years as President of Great Bay Community College) and, most recently, his four years as the State of New Hampshire Director of Economic Development, an appointment made by Governor Sununu.

“After my job with the State of New Hampshire ended, I’d lined up another position and prior to starting, a board member from Cross Roads urged me to consider this position. I couldn’t say no as the mission is just so compelling. First is the homelessness piece. Secondly, the staff and operations. And thirdly, community involvement Our community is hugely supportive of what we do here,” Will explained. “We are the inverse of Pine Street in Boston which is largely state and county funded. We are 70% dependent on fundraising, receive about 10% of funding from the state and the city kicks in through Community Development Block Grant funds.”

Last year Cross Roads provided 26,644 bed nights of shelter to 427 people including 17 families with 35 children. The average length of stay was 62 days. People generally show up through word of mouth or referrals from other agencies. “Our goal is to get people into permanent housing or back in with family. We’ve a wait list and finding long-term housing is a big problem. It’s becoming more evident that communities need to find their balance in terms of affordable housing in order to have workers to support local businesses.”

Cross Roads House plays a critical role in working with people who have fallen through the cracks for many reasons. Residents are assigned a case worker to help them get back to being productive citizens again. Will knows first-hand the challenges of being homeless. During a brief time in his life, he couldn’t pay his rent while attending a trade school in Phoenix “I understand the fear of not having a place to live. There is no sense of personal safety. You wonder where your next meal is coming from. When you don’t have a home, you must deal with basic survival things and that’s what you focus on. It’s day by day in survival mode and one can’t begin to really plan on how to get ahead, get a job and so forth.”

I told Will that I’ve been up and down Route 1 in Portsmouth thousands of times and knew, well…there is the homeless shelter there, Cross Roads, but didn’t really know much about it. “A shelter is just the tip of the iceberg,” Will explained. “We work together to build a pathway to get people back on their feet and selfsufficient. It may take three months, six months, 1 ½ years…depending on the situation. People may have an idea of what a homeless person is, but it can be anyone. We’re now seeing a new pattern of elderly people. Our biggest growth is among people 55+. We try to meet individuals where they are, as everyone has different needs.”

When not helping homeless people in need, Will helps homeless pets in need as a long-time board member of the NHSPCA. He and his wife, Linda, are huge animal lovers and had Harley, their special Jack Russell, for almost 16 years until they lost him to cancer. Harley was Will’s first dog as an adult and was like a child to he and Linda. “We have no kids. You get so close with your dog. It’s a bond like no other. I still think of him daily, though it’s been nearly two years since we lost him. Harley came to us as a puppy and knew our lifestyle, went hiking with us, swimming…everything.” The Arvelo’s plan to add a new dog to their family later this spring. “We love Jack Russell’s but are open to really any breed, with the ideal size being 20-30 pounds. And, of course, it will be a rescue.”

Will Arvelo is a man with an enormous heart and immense compassion for all people and creatures. I think one of the comments he made when we first met really sums him up. “When you care for something, you have to have a certain amount of passion. We are an ecosystem, and it takes all of us to make it work.”

It was a true pleasure and gift to spend some time with Will, as he has touched so many others’ lives and is a gift to so very many.

To support Cross Roads House or the NHSPCA, please visit their websites.

(CrossRoadsHouse.org)

(nhspca.org)

Meet the Cross Roads House Therapy Dog

Hi…I’m Riley Grace, a 5 ½ year-old mini–Golden Doodle who has one of the best jobs in Portsmouth! As a registered therapy dog, I visit the wonderful residents at Cross Roads House every Thursday. People sign up to meet with me in our assigned room, and boy is it ever rewarding…for me and the peeps, I think!

My goal is to bring a bit of joy to their lives with some snuggling, special dog kisses and lots of tail wags. If someone is in a wheelchair or uses a walker, I hop onto a chair so I can be at their level. There’s one woman who comes almost every week and spends most of her time chatting with my Mom. I don’t mind though, as she says this is a big part of her day. After we’re done seeing the residents, we head upstairs to greet some of the staff (who usually give me cookies). I also visit Portsmouth Regional Hospital each week and am a canine Pease Greeter when troops arrive back at the base.

I love my Mom (Joanne Fuller of Portsmouth) and she is crazy about me…her first dog ever. I was her “retirement gift” after teaching elementary school for years. She finally had time for a dog and had always wanted a Doodle…lucky me! For not being a life-long dog-person, I think she did an amazing job with me.

She sent me to school for puppy and adult training. Next, I received my AKC “Canine Good Citizenship” certification, and then it was off to ElderPet in Durham (a partner with the national Pet Partners therapy dog program) to become a registered therapy dog. I passed with flying colors, received my special vest and my doggone great career began. I’m so thankful Mom placed such importance on education…and good behavior!

When I’m not working, I hang out at home with my family. Dad (Tom Fuller) wrestles with me nightly and sister Kristen is great with snuggle time when she visits. I also love to go shopping with Mom. My favorite stores in Portsmouth are The Black Dog (imagine that), LeRoux Kitchen, the Barrett Gallery and Off Piste (a great novelty gift store). Treats are abundant in town as are lots of “oh you’re so adorable” comments!

If any of you pups out there are interested in becoming a certified therapy dog, there’s lots of information about the process on the ElderPet website. It’s truly a rewarding career…one worth barking loudly about.

Fondly with Wags & Wiggles…Riley Grace Fuller (ElderPet.org)