Just before Christmas a year ago, Carmen’s Place, a shelter for homeless LGBT youth in New York City, appeared to be on the verge of becoming “homeless” itself (”Church haven for transgenders may lose home“) on January 1st.

But thanks to contributions large and small from near and far away the shelter found a new home (”Displaced Shelter Finds New Astoria Digs“), but still faced challenges …

The $40,000 the shelter has raised will cover rent for the year, Braxton estimates, but not much else. “We don’t have money for food or equipment or beds or dressers or any of the things we needed before,” he conceded.

A more steady funding stream may be in teh shelter’s future, however. Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s office has offered to help Braxton seek discretionary funding in the next budget cycle, should he decide he wants it.

For Braxton, who served as the pastor at St. Andrew’s for the last eight years, another challenge remains.

He is now without a parish or a home, and his newly bestowed position as chaplain of Carmen’s Place, doesn’t actually carry a salary.

Braxton is nonplussed by this problem, seemingly bolstered in his beliefs by the events of the last month. “Right now I’m a man of faith and I’m seeing and learning and believing,” he said.

The New York Times published a feature story (”After Working the Streets, Bunk Beds and a Mass” and an accompanying video, “A Place for Transgender Youth“) on Carmen’s Place last May; and the Queens Chronicle wrote a follow-up story (”Astoria Youth Shelter Carmen’s Place Settling Into New Home“) in July, which presented a hopeful picture and Braxton’s vision of the shelter’s future …

It’s been just seven months since the Rev. Louis Braxton moved his homeless shelter for gay and transgendered teens from a church basement to a modest apartment in Astoria.

… once the news became public, the donations started coming in. In about a month, the group raised $40,000 through word-of-mouth and publicity over the Internet. The donations initially provided enough money to sign a year-long lease. Since the group moved into the apartment on Jan. 1, they’ve raised nearly $100,000 …

Although Braxton said the shelter has enough money to shelter, feed and clothe its residents for at least the next two years, there are still things on his wish list. Linens are always needed, as are food items, cleaning supplies, towels, and other clothing items.

With the influx of donations to keep the shelter open, there came more inquiries from individuals and groups looking for a safehaven. Braxton said he’d like to find a place to house an expanded version of the shelter — one that could accommodate youth in the transitional phase for a couple of months, as well as include an emergency drop-in shelter for kids looking for a place to sleep for a night or two. As it is now, the shelter has limited space. Although at times there are more people living there, Braxton said it’s ideally suited for six. Still, it’s hard to turn away others seeking shelter.

“I was naive about what it means to be transgendered before I started the shelter,” said Braxton. Now, he’s more aware of the need for places like his to house troubled youths …

While he waits hopefully for his request for discretionary funding to come through, Braxton is also mapping out the future of the shelter. In the fall, a New York City schoolteacher on maternity leave will start teaching classes to residents. Braxton also wants to set up a medical clinic and psychiatric services for the kids — but he needs more money and professionals who are willing to regularly commit their time to the shelter.

The latest on Carmen’s Place comes from this story (”A shelter in search of a home“) last week in the Flushing Times Ledger, which makes it appear quite possible that the shelter will have to find a new home again …

In the next room Carolina stirs the dinner and more kids pour inside. It is difficult to imagine that many of these young residents have only known each other for a few weeks or even a few days. But what’s more difficult is the familiar feeling that they all might be put back out in the cold when the shelter’s lease expires Jan. 1 since Braxton still has no housing prospects in sight.

“I’m a priest of the altar. I didn’t go out and look for anybody. They just came. Suddenly we had six people sleeping in the church basement,” says Braxton, who had been the priest at St. Andrews Church in Astoria from 1999 right up until it was closed down last year. Instead of abandoning Carmen’s Place, which was operating out of the church basement, Braxton found the residents a new home. “We have no resources. This city is not helping us,” he says.

The shelter signed a lease on a small apartment in Astoria with funding received through private donations a year ago. When Braxton talked to the landlord about renewing the lease, the landlord wanted Braxton to take in only four people at a time. The shelter currently houses 10.

“So we’re up against a wall now. We’re looking for a house,” Braxton says. “We’re moving on faith. The space is just too small. The office is in the kitchen. The plumbing is inadequate. There’s no room to counsel someone privately without everyone in the shelter knowing, because many of these kids have serious problems. But the real reason is, I turn away so many kids.”

Here’s hoping this Christmas story has a happy ending.

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“The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.” — W.C. Jones