Kaypòv

Shortly after I arrived in Gros Morne I heard about the Kaypòv. Kaypòv is Creole for “poor house”. The name conjured up for me images of the Dickensian institutions of the 19^th century which instilled fear into the hearts of my Irish ancestors. Much to my relief I learned that the Kaypòv is a long term homeless shelter for men and women, primarily the elderly who have no family to care for them. The structure itself is a one story, “U” shaped building constructed in stages by volunteers. There are dorms for both men and women; about thirty people call this building home. There is a pump in the courtyard, where the entire “neighborhood” comes to pump water.  The kitchen is in a neighboring structure, two meals are served daily. Behind the building are latrines and a concrete slab where the people do their laundry. Around the side of the building, affording a little privacy, is another concrete slab where people take their “bucket bath”; bathe with the water from a five gallon bucket. The Kaypòv is not simply a shelter it is a home that provides all the necessities of life.  

On Christmas Day we visited the Kaypòv, sang Christmas Carols, and served cake and soda.

Fortunately, this 21^st century poor house proved to be a kinder gentler place than the 19^th century institutions whose name it shares. In December a woman arrived in Gros Morne who needed a place to stay. She wasn’t pregnant, but she did need medical attention. The long term volunteers with whom I live took it upon themselves to care for the woman until we could find someone to provide the extensive medical care she needed. The temporary solution was to secure a “private room” for our friend at the Kaypòv. Although the woman was grossly disfigured by her injuries the people of the Kaypòv welcomed her into their community. We would go daily to administer her medication and help her bathe, but it was the people of the Kaypòv who provided her meals and kept a watchful eye over her throughout the day and night. In this case the community of the Kaypòv provided a temporary home for a person not only economically poor but also poor in body, mind, & spirit.