Shelter restructures to better meet needs of homeless families
On any given night, there are 12 to 15 families on the shelter waiting list at the St. Cloud Salvation Army. Family homelessness means more children are spending the night on the road instead of in the safety of a home.
In May, the percent of beds occupied by kids at the St. Cloud Salvation Army shelter spiked to 21 percent. A typical month is closer to 13-14 percent.
“It is unfortunate that we have children in need of a place to live, and it is our goal to meet that need,” Major Lee Morrison, lead officer at St. Cloud Salvation Army, said.
Rearranging to increase capacity
This need has driven the St. Cloud Salvation Army to rearrange rooms and reconsider program structure at the shelter in hopes of accommodating more homeless families.
The shelter started the year with three rooms for families – each containing three beds and a crib. Two family rooms have already been added, with plans to convert the current clinic space into another two family rooms by the end of July to serve up to seven families.
The clinic will be relocated within the building and expand to offer services to anyone in need in the community, not just shelter residents.
With more family homelessness, the number of shelter meals served has increased too – up nearly 30 percent from this time last year. Now that school’s out of session, children staying at the shelter can no longer rely on school lunches, so that number is expected to rise this summer.
“In order to provide well-rounded assistance, we need to be able to accommodate more families for longer periods of time,” Major Morrison said. “When a family walks in our doors, we want to make sure they’re here long enough to feel prepared to be back out on their own, instead of just putting a roof over their head for a couple nights.”
Preparing families to succeed
Families staying at the shelter meet weekly with a case worker who provides them with fresh input in job searches and guides them on a path to gain practical life skills.
Adults take classes to learn how to budget, build a resume, search for a job and prepare nutritious meals for their family. The shelter often brings in guest speakers to work with residents, too.
Funding is limited for programming for homeless children, but The Salvation Army works closely with St. Cloud Area School District 742 and local colleges to meet the needs of the children as well.
How you can help
You can help the shelter meet the extra need by giving online. Be sure to designate “St. Cloud Shelter” in the specific use field. A donation of just $200 shelters and feeds a family of four for a week.
Read more stories, blog posts and testimonials on our News page.