This Fall, Simpson Housing Services helped open the doors to Adult Shelter Connect, a new collaborative with the five Minneapolis single adult shelter providers. Simpson manages this office at St. Olaf Church and provides assessment and placement for adults seeking shelter in Hennepin County. During the first week hundreds of people came to the office to seek shelter. We are currently seeing an average of 140 people each day, approximately 40 of them new to the shelter system.
Many of the staff from Simpson and the other shelters came down to help and serve as welcome greeters at the hospitality desk. Simpson’s Director of Development and Communications, Elisabeth Loeffler, helped at the desk for a few hours and here is a reflection on her experience:
My job does not always allow me to have the opportunity to interact with the folks we serve, so I was happy to help out. For a few hours, I was to greet people, put their name on the list and call their name when one of the intake staff members was ready. The list already had 60 people on it and a dozen more people came to add their name on the list during my 3 hour shift. There was a wide range of people in the room hoping they would get a bed for the night, including:
- a young male veteran who had been sleeping under a downtown bridge;
- a husband and wife who had to be split up and go to two different shelters;
- a young women who couldn’t stay because she had to get to work and was going to see if she could sleep another night at a friend’s house; and
- a man who was mugged the night before and needed a safe space.
Everyone there was waiting to find a safe place to sleep. At the end of my shift, tears started to well up as I felt and experienced the real crisis in our community. The shelters are filled to capacity every night, resources are limited, and affordable housing is needed. We must end homelessness in our community.
One of Simpson’s core values is that we celebrate and embrace the uniqueness and dignity of every person experiencing homelessness. I experienced this firsthand; each person who walked into the room was greeted with a smile and seen by caring staff who was there to help and, most importantly, to help break barriers so they could get the support and safety they needed.
Simpson’s staff, volunteers, and supporters are truly generous with their resources, time, and talent. It is humbling to do this work and an honor to contribute in some way. I believe that ending homelessness is achievable with the right resources from government and private support.
As we approach the cold winter season, please consider making a donation, volunteering or inviting your friends to join us. I promise you will make a difference in the lives of countless men, women, and children who do not have a safe and affordable place to call home.
Join us today and learn more on volunteering or make a donation!