WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — It’s hard not to notice: temperatures are dropping to sub-freezing levels. With Wichita’s winter shelter still another week from opening, the sense of urgency is only growing. Colder weather means fuller shelters, so the additional space is welcome.
KSN reached out to several non-profits, many of which are becoming increasingly desperate for relief ahead of the shelter’s opening. But those 266 additional beds aren’t available yet.
“Since Friday, all day Saturday, all day Sunday, I was here with volunteers and staff getting things set up, such as the bunk beds behind us … So things are going well, knock on wood,” President and CEO of HumanKind Ministries Dawn Shepler said.
According to her, preparations are going smoothly, and her organization has stuck closely to its original timeline of opening around Thanksgiving. But the space is opening later this year than others, and temperatures are plummeting.
KSN spoke to Wichita Mayor Lily Wu about the delay and what options are available in the interim.
“If you see any men on the streets of Wichita, I really encourage you to reach out to the Union Rescue Mission. They are the only men’s shelter in our community,” Mayor Wu said.
Upon speaking to a representative for Union Rescue Mission, KSN discovered that they were well over capacity. According to them, they are housing around 53 homeless individuals. The facilities are also under renovation, which cuts their normal capacity of 60 down to just 40.
It’s not just Union Rescue Mission that is looking for relief.
“If they [unhoused people] are in a dire situation, especially on a cold night, people are going to reach out to anyone that could potentially help them,” Executive Director of Wichita Family Crisis Center Amanda Meyers says.
Her organization is dedicated exclusively to sheltering women and families in abusive or trafficking situations, not the general homeless population. Even they feel the winter shelter’s absence.
“We’re getting a lot of calls around this time of year from people who are homeless that are just looking for shelter. So the winter shelter is going to be a great relief for our community,” Meyers said.
HumanKind says that depending on staffing, food inventory and the temperature doors could open before the projected date of Dec. 2. Meanwhile, those looking for resources are encouraged to call the United Way hotline at 211. They can connect you to what you need, depending on what is available.