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Mayor Thomson, churches open shelters for unhoused community

By Grace Marocco

Posted February 27, 2024

A homeless camp, that has since been removed under Thomson's administration, by the Wheeler Mission on the city’s west side. (George Hale, WFIU/WTIU News)

Frigid temperatures throughout the area earlier this month put a spotlight on the need for shelter, especially for those experiencing homelessness.

To help the issue, Mayor Kerry Thomson and local churches are partnering to open a cold-weather shelter for women. Though the shelter caters to women, the door is also open for men who do not feel safe in other shelters. The shelter opened on Feb. 23 and has already served five guests from the unhoused population.

“Finally a success,” Thomson told city council members recently.

The shelter will operate anytime the weather falls below 20 degrees, when the forecast calls for more than three inches of snow or when the weather service issues a wind chill warning.

Allie Jewell is a volunteer coordinator for the Bloomington Severe Weather Shelter. She said an all-women’s shelter was needed in the community since Wheeler Shelter for Women closed late last summer.

“There is not an all-women's shelter right now,” Jewell said. “We just want to make sure that it's a space where women feel safe, should they not feel safe in other shelters.”

Another volunteer, Ryan Bea, echoed those sentiments.

“It's important to have a different place that people can go to, to get off the streets, particularly when the weather is very dangerous,” he said. “It could actually potentially save lives.”

In mid-February, Bloomington Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Oldham trained volunteers on de-escalation, administering Narcan and using hand-held metal detectors in an effort to keep the 20-bed shelter a safe environment for guests.

“If there's a situation where someone's upset or needs to step away, [the volunteers will know] how to approach that and not make things worse,” Jewell said.

The volunteers at the shelter hope to expand to a larger capacity and eventually offer other services, though nothing is in the works right now.

“We still have a lot of resources in storage, to potentially have more guests arrive and provide more space,” Bea said. “I would love to see that happen if the need arises.”

People who want to help can call First Christian Church at 812-332-4459, First United Methodist Church at 812-332-6396 or email btownsevereshelter@gmail.com. Potential volunteers are also encouraged to fill out this interest form. You do not have to be part of a religious community to be involved.