PC: Safe Haven Hope Center Facebook Page
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary in downtown Green Bay announced their new endeavor last week; Safe Haven Hope Center. At the time of the announcement, the organization was still on the lookout for a permanent location.
Now, a space formerly owned by Newcap is being turned over to Green Bay’s newest homeless shelter.
During a cold snap in January, Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary offered a warm place to stay overnight for people experiencing homelessness. Pet Sanctuary officials say that while staying overnight, those individuals served as volunteers by caring for the cats.
However, citing current zoning code, the City of Green Bay issued an ordinance violation notice to the pet sanctuary. That meant volunteers and/or unhoused individuals were not allowed to be there overnight. That’s when leaders got the idea for Safe Haven Hope Center; which bills itself as a “low-barrier shelter helping those facing the greatest barriers rebuild stability through providing basic needs, harm-reduction and mental health support, and healing through caring for at-risk animals.”
Cathi Oreto, co-founder and co-director of Safe Haven Hope Center, says Newcap knew they were going to vacate some of their facilities, and the City of Green Bay helped connect Safe Haven Hope Center to a permanent space.
“It previously housed up to five families,” said Oreto. “My understanding is that the rooms are fairly good sized, it has a community kitchen, a community dining area, and a fantastic porch where we can hangout.”
Leaders of Safe Haven Hope Center have not yet been able to go inside the space; that’s something they hope to do before the end of this week.
With other local shelters closing in the summer, Oreto says Safe Haven Hope Center will operate year-round. She adds that as demand grows, they will continue to look for other options to accommodate more people.
Before they can start taking in people and providing services, the City Council and the Planning Commission still need to give their approval, and it may take a few months to get started. However, Oreto said there are other avenues the City provided that would get people into Safe Haven Hope Center sooner that are currently being looked at by leaders of the non-profit.
In terms of staffing, the goal is to acquire more volunteers and fill-in with paid staff overnight when volunteers are unavailable.
“We want to operate under the ‘peer model’, so we want folks with lived experience to work there and volunteer there,” said Oreto.
In the meantime, Safe Haven Hope Center has been helping put unhoused individuals in motels/hotels. They have set up a Go Fund Me for those who wish to donate to those efforts. Those funds will also go towards costs associated with the new facility.
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