[Detox aids holiday homeless
By Dionne Searcey
Staff Reporter
Instead of waking to scents of
homemade goodies and holiday
cheer, some homeless wake to a
throbbing headache, the stench of
vomit, and two aspirin waiting to
be swallowed.
Rex Thompson, executive direc
tor of Cornhusker Place Detoxifica
tion Center, said the facility is filled
on Thanksgiving and New Year’s
Day. The center has 39 beds to ac
commodate intoxicated individu
als, he said.
But Christmas Eve and Christ
mas day are slow, he said.
He said the decrease in numbers
of patients on Christmas is because
some homeless people have rela
tives that will accept them on this
holiday.
‘They’ll be sober with their fam
ily. Their family will tolerate them
over Christmas,” he said.
But police still find intoxicated
homeless people in need of care.
Police take intoxicated individu
als to Cornhusker Place if they are
believed to be endangering others
or themselves, according to Sgt.
John Lustrea, evening supervisor at
the UNL Police Department.
“Wepick up the same characters
night after night,” Lustrea said.
Thompson refers to these per
sons as “revolving door” patients
They are admitted to detox and
released countless times.
He said a majority of these pa
tients are homeless.
Lustrea said these individuals
are transients who have given up
on life. The alcohol provides a
temporary escape from their troub
les, ne said.
“They’re slowly trying to com
mit suicide — bottle by bottle,"
Lustrea said.
The center refers patients to 32
different rehabilitation programs that
can help them overcome their drink
ing problem.
Students also can be of help to
these individuals, Thompson said.
Thompson said students can do
nate clothes that are “just hanging
around in their closets, never being
worn."
The center sometimes needs to
provide clothing for patients who
don’t have winter clothes or who
have urinated in their clothing while
passed out.
David Traster, chaplain for the
men’s shelter at the Lincoln City
Mission, said some detox patients
need to be steered into an Alcohol
ics Anonymous program.
He said students could follow
up on detox patients after they
leave the shelter and provide them
transportation to Alcoholics Anony
mous meetings.
Thompson also said students
should look at their own social life
and how much it is centered on
drinking.
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