By Cheri Perkins Mantz, Catholic Herald Staff

MILWAUKEE — When the temperatures dipped well below zero with potentially fatal windchill factors earlier this week, most people stayed indoors. For thousands of people throughout the state, that is not an option.

To meet the need of the state’s homeless population, several area shelters increased their hours and capacity to accommodate the need.

Repairers of the Breach, 1335 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee, is typically open as a safe haven for the homeless during the day.

“Usually, we’re a one-stop shop for the homeless during the day,” said MacCanon Brown, executive director. “As it became subzero temperatures — many people we serve live in cars, abandoned buildings, under bridges — we’re very aware of the population most at risk in these temperatures and decided to open 24 hours until the cold spell is over.”

Brown said that the center normally hosts 150 people per day when their hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Last night we had 51 people,” Brown said Feb. 5. “It’s not unusual to have to call an ambulance when someone comes in in an advanced stage of hypothermia.”

To spread the word about their extended hours, Brown said they notified all police stations, crisis lines and other homeless shelters.

“Police are so happy when we’re open,” she said. “They even dropped off a woman from Fond du Lac at 2 a.m. She was almost frozen to death.”

One unique characteristic of Repairers of the Breach is that select homeless people are offered leadership as the staff.

“We select them for their dedication and trustworthiness and they take care of the center during the night and day,” said Brown.

While the severely frigid weather may have some people feeling down, Brown said that the people serving and being served at Repairers of the Breach have faith to pull them through.

“They’re faith-filled people during this crisis,” she said. “They’re not thinking of themselves; they’re helping each other.”

Brown said she has witnessed remarkable generosity among homeless people. She has seen one homeless person exchange coats with another who could use a warmer coat.

“They’re so grateful,” she said. “They cry in my arms. That’s part of the spirit of love in this place.”

Brown said the board of Repairers of the Breach is deciding how much longer the center will stay open 24 hours per day. They began their extended hours when the weather hit below zero on Feb. 2. The last time she remembers being open during the night was during a blizzard in 2000. However, Brown said this is the longest number of days the center has ever been open 24 hours.

But Brown said she knows Repairers of the Breach has already helped many people in this crisis.

“Some people would’ve ended up in the morgue if we had not been open,” she said.

Another Milwaukee-area shelter adding space is the Cathedral Center, 845 N. Van Buren St., Milwaukee.

“We’re typically not open 24 hours, but we’re now open 24 hours and bringing in extra staff so the guests don’t have to leave,” said executive director Donna Rongholt-Migan.

The Cathedral Center, open to women and families, meaning married couples or single parents and their children, allows overflow in their “Warm Room” when the center is at capacity. Their typical capacity is 32 women and eight families. They can accommodate another 20 people in their Warm Room in emergency cases such as the severely cold weather.

The Warm Room is typically open December through March as a space for people to get off the street, get warm, and rest. They do not have showers or beds. Since they are currently over capacity, the Warm Room is now open and has several cots in it.

However, Rongholt-Migan said this is not the time of the year that they normally are above capacity.

“It’s a common misconception that shelters are more full during winters, but we are usually swamped during the summer months,” she explained. “There are fewer evictions during winter months and utilities aren’t turned off in winter. We get really flooded during March and April.”

She said the Cathedral Center has often stayed open 24 hours in summer months, particularly when the weather is extremely hot.

While the Cathedral Center does not have stoves and kitchen facilities to allow them to cook meals, the Interfaith Conference coordinates groups that bring in meals for guests.

“We provide a cold breakfast and a bag lunch,” said Rongholt-Migan. She said the neighboring Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist provides a meal program and the Cathedral Center allows guests to leave to visit a meal program and return to their bed at the Cathedral Center.

“We don’t turn … women away when it’s cold outside,” she said. “You could die out there.”

The directors of both centers encourage monetary donations. At the Repairers of the Breach, items on their Crisis Emergency Need List can be found by calling (414) 934-9305. To refer someone to the Cathedral Center, call (414) 831-0394, Ext. 2153. For information about volunteering at the Cathedral Center, call the Interfaith Conference at (414) 276-9050.

Be An Informed Catholic!


For the rest of this week's news, visit the Catholic Herald web site.

Click here to subscribe to the Catholic Herald.