Jan, I only have a few details but I do know that a such a program exists that addresses your questions. That's the good news.
The bad news, if you're homeless in Minneapolis, is that the program operates only in St. Paul. It is coordinated by a coalition of churches in that city. It was set up to help address the issue of overflow that established shelters experience on almost a regular basis. The Friends meeting I belong to participates in this program during the month of September; providing shelter for approximately 25-30 mothers with children, which is the maximum capacity of our available space. Some church congregations have greater capacity and can accept a larger number of folks. It is my understanding that there are enough congregations involved to provide shelter from September through April when established shelters are full. Why Minneapolis doesn't have such a program is beyond me. I have often been struck by the thought of all the 'idle' capacity that exists in our fair city that is underutilized. Our tax monies are used to erect public structures -- park buildings, schools and libraries readily come to mind -- and then sit empty and/or underused for a significant chunk of time every day. Something is wrong with this picture. Jenny Heiser East Phillips > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 10:33 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Mpls] Bitter Cold and Full Homeless Shelters > > > Where is the collective will among our leaders - including political, > religious and civic - to deal with a real life and death situation? We > have bitterly > cold weather and not enough room for the homeless. Yet every church has a > basement that could be opened to shelter people? Should not every faith based > organization look closely at itself to see what it is doing to help on this > subject? I drive by a closed Walker South (formerly a nursing home) facility on > 61st and Lyndale that would be a perfect place to house homeless - it has a > kitchen, etc. I don't have all the answers as to how this could be used, but I > think someone in a position of power sure could. > > Jan Del Calzo > Lynnhurst > REMINDERS: > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html > For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
