Packers give Oneida nurse award for opening homeless shelter in Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers honored Pearl Webster, an Oneida Nation nurse, with their annual Inspire Change Changemaker Award at their game Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Packers recognized Webster for “going above and beyond in her pursuit of social justice” for her work in opening a homeless shelter on the Oneida Reservation in 2021.
In her nearly 45 years working as a nurse, including for the Oneida Nation Health Department, Webster saw how many families in the community were experiencing economic hardships.
“Many individuals would share stories with me about surfing couch to couch or living on the streets and not having a place to call home,” she told the Green Bay Press-Gazette in 2021. “Some would sleep in their cars and talk about how they would get to the fitness center early so they can take a shower.”
Webster resolved to bring a homeless shelter to the reservation but, after multiple setbacks, it took seven years to finally make it a reality.
Safe Shelter can serve up to 60 people in the Oneida and Green Bay areas.
Advocates and professionals are on-hand at the facility to assist clients with needs ranging from medical to applying for jobs.
Instructors from the College of Menominee Nation are also on site to help educate clients about what they need to be successful.
The shelter has spaces for families of up to nine people, as well spaces for single people separated by gender.
It includes a playroom for children, a fully equipped kitchen, washing and drying machines and is near grocery stores on Green Bay’s far west side, which overlaps with the Oneida Reservation.
The tribe paid to renovate a tribally owned building for the shelter using money it received through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
As a nurse, Webster helped eliminate tuberculosis on the Oneida Reservation and helped mentor aspiring nurses at the College of Menominee Nation.
She also is the recipient of the 2022 Northeast Wisconsin Remarkable Woman Award.
The Packers’ award comes with a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to benefit Safe Shelter.
Frank Vaisvilas is a former Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact him at fvaisvilas@gannett.com or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Green Bay Packers honor Oneida nurse with Inspire Change award
