COVID closes Milwaukee shelter, bitter cold increases demand
MILWAUKEE - Warming shelters around Milwaukee prepared for an influx of people needing refuge from the cold Monday, Jan. 10, but COVID cases have already caused one shelter to close for the season.
With wind chills as cold as -20 Monday night, leaders at Repairers of the Breach said they're expecting a busy night at their warming shelter, but in early 2022, they're protecting guests from more than just the cold.
"It's been challenging, but at the same time, it's been rewarding," said Reverend James West, Repairers of the Breach.
Reverend West and Repairers of the Breach set up their warming shelter for anyone in need of a warm place to sleep Monday night, even as a surge in COVID-19 cases poses another challenge.
"It complicates things," said West. "It makes you get creative, and it causes us to figure out, how can we do what we know has to be done, but yet do it safe."
His staff aims to prevent the spread of the disease while helping as many people as possible. It's a job that's made tougher by a limited capacity for social distancing.
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"The room that we used to hold 40 people in is now down to 14," said West.
And now, there's one less option for people to go.
Street Angels Milwaukee closed its warming shelter at Ascension Lutheran Church for the season, citing a 20% to 30% increase in staff and guests testing positive for COVID over the last week. Leaders of the nonprofit wrote on Facebook: "We've decided it is not safe to continue operations, even after reducing capacity. The risk is too high for our unvaccinated guests for serious illness."
At Repairers of the Breach, West said his team and other nonprofits are working with the city to fill the void, ensuring those who are homeless can sleep somewhere safe and warm.
"It's a devastating blow, no doubt, and we're gonna be affected by it," said West. "We have to gear up for it to make sure no man and no woman is left behind in the cold."
Repairers of the Breach is always in need of supplies and donations to keep running.
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