APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – As temperatures drop into the single digits, and even below zero – homeless individuals in the Fox Cities are working to find somewhere warm to stay for the night. Forecasts predict temperatures to plummet below zero Thursday night.
Being homeless in the Fox Cities is not only difficult – but dangerous around this time of year. That’s why Pillars in Appleton work to bring in as many people off the streets as they possibly can.
“Numbers don’t necessarily skyrocket with the dip in the temperature, but our mission becomes more critical,” says Pillars Director of Community Engagement Scott Peeples, “You just really can’t survive that long when it’s that cold out, so we’re doing everything we can to get everybody into shelter as much as possible.”
Pillars reports that their shelters are at capacity year-round. But they are able to push the capacity a bit when weather like this rolls around – especially being the only shelters in the area.
“If you’re homeless and in the Fox Cities, you’re coming to the Pillars Adult Shelter or the Pillars Adult and Family Shelter,” Peeples says, “With our two Pillars shelters, we can serve about 140. If we squeeze capacity when it’s this cold, we can get close to 150.”
Some may question how many homeless individuals there could be in a place as cold as the Fox Cities in February. A Point in Time count around the area last month located approximately 20 people who were not in shelters – and were sleeping in cars, parking ramps, or other odd places.
“On the conservative side, there might be 10-20 people who aren’t able to get into a shelter. But that was also when it wasn’t quite as cold out – so if that was tonight, we’d be able to get more people in,” Peeples tells WTAQ News, “We go by ten degrees – that’s ten degrees above zero. So if it dips below that, then we’ll change our policy a bit and be more liberal with how many people we’ll squeeze through the doors.”
But as the shelter heightens their mission, they aren’t doing it alone. Peeples says the shelters are extremely fortunate to have surrounding communities like the ones here in the Fox Cities.
“When it’s this cold, the community, in general, is more compassionate and it really shows. People call us and offer financial help or other donations – or do whatever they can to help us do what we can,” Peeples explains.
Anyone who would like to assist the Pillars shelter can contact them directly through their website.
