Where to go when temperatures plummet?

When winter storms bring frigid weather, these dangerous conditions pose a serious threat to people experiencing homelessness in the Twin Cities. This month, temperatures remained well below freezing – with subzero windchills – for over a week straight. In response to this cold snap, Catholic Charities Twin Cities took measures to ensure that people had access to shelter. For Catholic Charities, this meant extending service hours across the agency to host warm spaces for those in need and making sure that cold weather essentials were readily available.

Over the bitterly cold Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, many major news outlets published stories about this important work:

KSTP: “As temps head below zero, organizations step up to keep Minnesotans warm”

Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Place campus in downtown St. Paul helps those most in need every day. But during the winter storm, its warm meals, hot showers, laundry service, and overnight shelter helped save lives. Over the past week, Dorothy Day Place has seen, “a lot of new faces seeking shelter from the cold weather,” said Jen Kissling, program manager at the daytime shelter. And even though this winter began with historically warm temperatures, Jen explained that Catholic Charities has seen a drastic increase in the number of people that rely on the agency’s emergency services.

Ramsey County warming spaces began operating overnight from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on November 15th, 2023 — but most daytime shelters in St. Paul close before 9:00 p.m. To help bridge the gap until the county warming centers open, Catholic Charities extended their hours during the recent winter storm. This meant that people did not have to spend an hour or two in conditions that can lead to frostbite in minutes.

WCCO: “One charity is stepping up to make sure the unhoused have a warm place to go”

“The dangerously cold temperatures in Twin Cities Saturday, can quickly become a matter of life or death for the unhoused population. Several charities are stepping up to save lives, including Catholic Charities Higher Ground Minneapolis Adult Shelter. After looking at the weather, Paul Harvey who is the unit supervisor at the shelter said management knew something had to be done to avoid tragic loss of life or frostbite.

‘We’ll be open 24 hours which means no shelter client will have to leave unless they’re going to work,’ Harvey said. ‘Be warm and won’t have to worry about being outside in the cold.’ Saturday evening, they were expecting 130 men and had prepared with extra beds to meet the growing demand.

‘If you’re looking for a place to stay warm and you’re homeless, please come to Higher Ground Catholic Charities,’ Harvey said. Hosea Rogers was one of those men seeking shelter at Higher Ground. He’s been experiencing homelessness since late 2022.

‘Streets are very dangerous; you can get caught up with stuff that’s why it’s best to have a place like this,’ Rogers said. Especially with life threatening cold setting in, he said he’s grateful to have a warm and safe place to be.

‘By this being open 24 hours, you have a place to come, hope, you got hope,’ Rogers stated. ‘Thanks to them, I can see a future.'” – Ubah Ali, WCCO News

FOX 9: “MN organizations help others during cold”

“This weekend’s weather is a matter of life or death for Minnesotans without a place to call home,” said Babs Santos at Fox 9 News. But at Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Place, people experiencing homelessness were offered a warm place to recuperate.

“Anybody who needs a safe place to come in out of the cold is welcome here,” explained Keith Kozerski, Chief Program Officer at Catholic Charities Twin Cities. And aside from providing hot meals, showers, laundry, and other services as usual, staff at Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Place were prepared with winter essential like hats, gloves, and boots for people in need.

Raven Davis, Unit Supervisor, said that when people come in, “they’re saying that their fingers are hurting, they’re tired of walking, and that they just can’t take the cold anymore.” And with many public buildings in downtown St. Paul closed for MLK Day; Dorothy Day Place served people that had nowhere else to turn.