As temperatures drop, Springfield cold weather shelters lack gathering spot, volunteers
As Springfield's crisis cold weather shelters prepare for operation in the upcoming week, they're also facing a problem. A centralized location where people can get an evening meal and transportation to a shelter has yet to be picked.
During the last two years, the Veterans Coming Home Center, located at 806 N. Jefferson Ave., has served as this spot. Folks were asked to gather there for dinner and to sign up for a spot at a crisis cold weather shelter. Then, they'd be transported to an appropriate shelter. This year, the Veterans Coming Home Center is not serving in this role, and it's because of funding.
Chris Rice, Veterans Coming Home Center administrator, said the center asked Community Partnership of the Ozarks for $6,000 a month during this crisis cold weather weather season (Nov. 1-March 31) to help hire additional staff and pay for utilities. Community Partnership of the Ozarks is unable to provide that funding this year.
Last year, Community Partnership of the Ozarks supplied the Veterans Coming Home Center with $5,000 a month for five months over the winter, but CPO said last year's funding was supplied from a COVID-19 relief emergency fund to support crisis cold weather shelters, which was only available for one year.
Even if the funding could be provided, Rice said he is concerned the Veterans Coming Home Center would not have enough volunteers to manage the crisis cold weather season. He said last year the center was "overworked" and right now, the center's staff is just able to manage the regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday.
With below-freezing temperatures on the horizon, Community Partnership of the Ozarks and local religious institutions are struggling to come up with a plan.
"It's kind of a week by week thing right now, until the end of November," Lisa Landrigan, Community Partnership of the Ozarks crisis cold weather shelter coordinator, told the News-Leader on Tuesday evening. "Of course it's not ideal by any means. Consistency for our guests and the population we serve is ideal, so we really have lack of consistency right now."
One constant, at least until the end of the month, is that evening meals will continue to be provided at summer locations. Through Nov. 30, evening meals will be available at the following locations:
Monday and Wednesday at Grace United Methodist Church, 600 S. Jefferson Ave.
Tuesday at Central Christian Church, 1475 N. Washington Ave.
Thursday at The Venues, 425 W. Walnut St.
Friday at Pitts Chapel United Methodist Church, 600 N. Benton Ave.
Saturday at Freeway Ministries, 1041 W. Kearney St.
Sunday at Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 1795 W. Farm Road 56
Landrigan added that Pitts Chapel United Methodist Church will also be providing evening meals in its parking lot on Saturday, Nov. 12 and Sunday, Nov. 13.
On the evenings that crisis cold weather shelters are open this month, folks will be transported to the appropriate crisis cold weather shelter from these evening meal locations. As in previous years, City Utilities buses will transport folks to East Sunshine Church of Christ and Asbury United Methodist Church. Community Partnership of the Ozarks will shuttle folks to the other, smaller crisis cold weather shelters.
Through the end of the year, six crisis weather shelters have the opportunity to provide up to 230 beds. They are open when overnight temperatures are 32 degrees or below for four consecutive hours between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
East Sunshine Church of Christ, capacity of 50 men at 3721 E. Sunshine St.
Grace United Methodist Church, capacity of 25 women at 600 S. Jefferson Ave.
Asbury United Methodist Church, capacity of 33 individuals with pets at 1500 S. Campbell Ave.
Unity of Springfield, capacity of 25 individuals at 2214 E Seminole St.
Revive 66 Campground, capacity 50 individuals with pets at 3839 W. Chestnut Expressway
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, capacity of 25 men at 1609 N. Summit Ave.
Starting Jan. 1, Salvation Army Harbor House, located at 636 N. Boonville Ave., will provide an additional 20 beds. Overflow crisis cold weather shelters include Eden Village at 2801 E. Division St. and The Venues at 425 W. Walnut St.
Another concern Landrigan has with this year's crisis cold weather shelter season is a lack of volunteers.
On Monday, Oct. 24, Community Partnership of the Ozarks hosted a crisis cold weather shelter volunteer training. Landrigan said 44 volunteer attended.
Individually, crisis cold weather shelters need at least six volunteers each night, Landrigan said. When all shelters are in use, this would be a minimum of 36 volunteers needed nightly. Landrigan said on Tuesday that Community Partnership of the Ozarks heard from two shelters this week that expressed concerns about not having enough volunteers to operate by the weekend.
The predicted forecast calls for a low of 22 degrees Friday night and a low of 20 degrees Saturday night.
"Using the same people over and over, right here at the beginning of the season, by the end of the season, everybody is so tired," Landrigan said. "If we just had more people sign up and the pool of volunteers was larger, then everybody would be able to sustain."
How to volunteer at a crisis cold weather shelter
Those interested in volunteering should first watch the Community Partnership of the Ozarks' Crisis Cold Weather Shelter Volunteering video, which introduces folks to expectations and roles. The video is accessible on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=uv0k0sLr72I.
Overnight volunteers are needed from about 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. to check folks in and out. Overnight volunteers are always paired with another volunteer, so they can sleep for a portion of the night. It's common for overnight volunteers to work one to two shifts a month.
After watching the introductory video, folks should complete the crisis cold weather shelters volunteer interest form online at bit.ly/3DkSqsA. This form is shared by all shelter sites to determine where folks would be best matched up with. Prior to one's first volunteer shift, site-specific training is held.
When it comes to getting involved this cold weather season, there are several ways community members can help, outside of volunteering overnight at crisis cold weather shelters.
Support the Veterans Coming Home Center during regular hours
Although the Veterans Coming Home Center is not operating as a centralized location for crisis cold weather shelters this year, Rice said they can always use more help. To connect with the center, Rice encouraged folks to either message the Veterans Coming Home Center on Facebook or call the center at 417-866-3363.
Volunteer with The Connecting Grounds' street outreach
During the crisis cold weather season, The Connecting Grounds operates its street outreach program. Street outreach teams work when overnight temperatures are 40 degrees or below, or 45 degrees or below and raining.
This year, two street outreach teams, made up of two people each, will travel throughout Springfield, distributing survival supplies to those who are unsheltered. Survival supplies include Hothands, gloves and emergency foil blankets. When available, teams will also distribute sack meals and hot coffee.
In addition to physical supplies, Connecting Grounds founding pastor Christie Love said street outreach educates unsheltered folks. For example, each winter there are "a lot" of new people on the street, who may not be familiar with how to strategically place Hothands to prevent hypothermia. Street outreach volunteers teach these skills.
Street outreach shifts begin at 6:30 p.m. and last until about 9:30 p.m., Love said. But when temperatures dip lower, like below zero, shifts may be longer in order to reach more folks. As of Tuesday, the street outreach program includes about 40 volunteers.
"I know that sounds like a lot, but really, we'll be out five or six nights a week most of the winter," Love said. "It's easy to get burnt out, so the more volunteers we have, the fresher people can be and that's really important."
Those interested in volunteering with street outreach, should complete an online form on The Connecting Grounds website at theconnectinggrounds.com/street-outreach. Once completed, Love will send prospective volunteers a training video so they can get acquainted with the role's duties.
Download the 'Shelter SGF' mobile app
On Oct. 31, The Connecting Grounds released "Shelter SGF," a mobile app designed to connect community members with homeless shelter resources. The app tells users if crisis cold weather shelters are open and what shelters are open. In the future, the app will display how many beds are available at shelters.
"Everybody should have the app on their phone, especially if you're ... working ... anywhere in our community where you may be engaging with someone in need, so you can help make sure they know that information," Love said.
Another feature of the app allows users to send a message to The Connecting Grounds outreach team.
"If a concerned citizen sees someone, who they may be worried about but maybe they're not comfortable approaching, they can actually send a notification to us (through the app)," Love said. "That comes to our outreach team and alerts us that there might be someone in crisis, and we can go check on them."
Shelter SGF is available in the Apple App Story and Google Play Store.
Participate in The Connecting Grounds' November 2x2 Challenge
November is Homeless Awareness Month and The Connecting Grounds is encouraging folks to participate in its November 2x2 Challenge. The challenge asks folks to pick two tasks to complete during the winter season which benefit the homeless community.
The challenge list includes:
Volunteer overnight at a men's shelter
Volunteer overnight at a women's shelter
Volunteer overnight at an all gender shelter
Volunteer overnight at a family shelter
Volunteer an evening shift at a family shelter
Make a meal for a family shelter that feeds 20
Volunteer with The Connecting Grounds' street outreach program
Volunteer at The Connecting Grounds' Community Outreach Center
Make a meal for the YouthConnect Center
Donate outreach supplies and/or snacks
Make 50 sandwiches for The Connecting Grounds' street outreach program
Serve as a Medical Outreach Volunteer for The Connecting Grounds
Purchase bus passes for shelter guests
"I'm not asking you to do something every day or even every week," Love said "I'm asking you to do two things over the course of the entire winter to help meet the needs that are way too great for anybody to do by themselves."
To sign up for the challenge, visit The Connecting Grounds website at theconnectinggrounds.com/november-2x2-challenge.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield's crisis cold weather shelters operating 'week by week'
