Volunteers needed for sheltering of homeless

An emergency virtual community meeting will take place at noon Thursday, Nov. 30, to discuss needed volunteers and donations to help provide temporary overnight shelter for Cape Girardeau homeless residents during extreme winter weather.

An email sent out by Elizabeth Shelton, executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri (UWSEMO), on Tuesday, Nov. 28, stated the temperature that night was forecast to drop below freezing; however, the Salvation Army would not be able to open its shelter because of lack of volunteers.

"This is the busiest time of year for the Salvation Army, and we simply do not have enough volunteers ready to go to open tonight," Shelton stated in the letter.

Shelton said various organizations would be providing funds to shelter people in hotel rooms.

She said UWSEMO set up a website where people can register for the virtual meeting. According to the website, items to be discussed will include fundraising, volunteers, resources and "strategies for helping our unhoused neighbors during winter storms."

The link to the website is www.unitedwayofsemo.org/winter-sheltering.

After registering, an email will be sent with the link to access the meeting.

"It will be a 'What can you bring to the table?' kind of meeting. How are you able to contribute? And I don't just mean financially," Shelton said. "Many hands make light work and, in the same way, the brainpower of many more people in this community will be very beneficial to this cause."

Shelton said it would be ideal for a church or another organization to donate the use of a basement or gymnasium to be used as a shelter.

UWSEMO has also added a way to make donations to fund an overnight warming center at https://unitedwayofsemo.harnessgiving.org/campaigns/13036?mc_cid=62941cb956. As of Wednesday evening, Nov. 29, 33 people had donated $3,509 toward a $10,000 goal.

The website also provides a link to a proposal presented to the Cape Girardeau City Council by local Emergency Shelter Agencies — UWSEMO, Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri, the Salvation Army and First Call For Help.

The proposal stated 63 people reported themselves to be homeless in Cape Girardeau County in 2023, according to the Homeless Missourians Information System, but organizations dealing directly with the homeless believe this number may be higher.

This winter, there will be an estimated 15 to 20 nights of extreme weather at 28 degrees Fahrenheit or below, the proposal stated.

It costs the Salvation Army $1,800 per night to house and provide meals for 40 individuals seeking shelter at a total cost of $36,000 for 20 nights, the proposal stated. Funding for six hotel rooms (no meals provided) for 20 nights is $9,600.

According to the proposal funding from the Emergency Shelter Agencies and other organizations such as St. James AME People's Shelter and Street Level, the contributed funds to shelter the homeless is still far below what is needed.

"Area nonprofits have limited funds and already are committing significant amounts of personnel hours," the proposal stated. "Additional financial assistance is imperative to save lives when extreme weather arrives."

Shelton said the Salvation Army requires six volunteers a night for 10 people using the shelter and then, for every 10 beyond that, two more volunteers are required. She said some of the volunteers have assigned roles such as a shelter manager, a food coordinator and someone overseeing the safety of the volunteers and the people staying there.

"It's ideal if someone can be there who has some training in social work or mental health counseling because many of these people are dealing with very hard situations," Shelton said. "And additional volunteers are always needed to help serve and clean and get cots out and things like that."