THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2021 Page 23 EPD | FROM PAGE 5 Once they established a dialogue with individuals living on the street, the officers found that many of them had been separated from their families or had no family at all. Therefore, these individuals truly appreciated that there was someone out there who “had their back.” However, the winter months created a substantial challenge as many homeless individuals consume larger quantities of alcohol in an effort to stay warm. In one instance, a man was so intoxicated that he stumbled onto the Tobin Bridge onramp during a snowstorm. “He was on my radar,” said Donnelly, adding that the man was known to Everett Police. She said that in addition to the peril of standing on the Tobin Bridge, the temperature was dangerously low. “It was one of those times when it was negative 10 degrees,” said Donnelly. However, the man was rescued by Chelsea Police and was taken to the Everett campus of the Cambridge Health Alliance. Toward the end of the year, Donnelly came across an individual who was confined to a wheelchair. Despite being in an extraordinary amount of pain, the man was still leery about getting medical attention as he feared his belongings would be taken away. However, Donnelly was able to convince the man that his belongings would be secured. He was then taken to the hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. The man was later admitted to the Barbara McInnis House in Boston. In addition to the Barbara McInnis House, Everett Police also work with the Providing Access to Addictions Treatment, Hope and Support (PAATHS) program in Boston and Recovery Centers of America in Danvers. Yet, there are some individuals who continue to reappear. “It’s a revolving door,” she said, adding that those individuals simply do not want to be helped. Therefore, Donnelly said, additional services are still needed to help Everett’s homeless. “There’s not enough programs that are truly helpful,” she said. “It’s a constant frustration.” MAYOR | FROM PAGE 8 tion was considered, DeMaria said, the cost of making stateof-the-art renovations would be much higher than a housing development. DeMaria also said he does not support the K-8 education model. “I never liked that,” he said, adding that the current Everett High School could be repurposed for students in grades 7-9. The next community meeting will on June 9 at 7 p.m. for Ward 3 residents.
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