Winter Outreach Update and Needs List

Kids and grownups from St Paul's make blankets for the Street Outreach Team

It's getting cold outside and many of our neighbors are still without a warm place to call home. The Duluth Street Outreach Team is still hitting the pavement to provide solidarity, survival gear and resources to people experiencing homelessness. As happens every winter, many of our friends have moved into shelter or are doubling up with friends, but dozens of people still brave the cold every night.

We are very grateful for the loving support of many organizations and faith communities over the past few months: Harbor City high school students who collected FOUR CARLOADS (!) of warm weather gear; Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd for preparing 60 cold weather kits with hats, mittens and handwarmers; St Paul's Episcopal K-4th graders who spearheaded a coat drive and blanket-making party; Holy Rosary Cathedral youth who collected much-needed sleeping bags and other gear; and St Michael's, Hillside Methodist, Duluth Church of Christ and Concordia Lutheran friends who continue to supply both gear and sack lunches for the outreach team to distribute.

For the first time ever our teams have a good supply of gear, but we are still in need of the following items:

• One- and two-person tents
• Tarps
• Handwarmers
• Solar and crank flashlights 

...and a good dose of social change!

Project Homeless Connect - October 24

PHC offers:

• Help with housing and food stamp apps, health insurance, voter registration and IDs
• Haircuts, foot care and blood pressure screening
• Bicycle repair
• Safer sex resources and same-day HepC and HIV testing
• Job search help
• Veteran, LGBTQ, youth and family services
• Winter survival tips
• Homeless Against Homelessness on how to protect your rights
• Listening sessions with elected officials
• Information about Duluth's new syringe exchange and drug/alcohol treatment options
• Free BBQ lunch!

Contact us if you can help: 

• Donate clean, new socks - both cotton and wool - and nail clippers
• Volunteer as a greeter or to plate/serve food

Homeless rising up!

Today, people experiencing homelessness and advocates met to kick off an organizing effort to protect human rights in the city of Duluth. We believe that Duluth needs a Homeless Bill of Rights to protect people's basic rights to food, housing, safety and freedom from unnecessary searches and profiling. Stay tuned for good things to come!

Volunteer outreach orientation August 29

Some of the attendees at the first volunteer street outreach orientation at Gloria Dei

Interested in volunteering with the Street Outreach Team or beefing up your skills? The next orientation is scheduled for Thursday, August 29, 5:30-8:30pm at Concordia Lutheran Church (2501 Woodland Ave).

The orientation will provide information about resources available for homeless people in the Duluth area, and expand on the previous orientation with a special focus on conflict de-escalation, special considerations for youth, and safety concerns related to chemical use and mental illness.

Snacks and coffee will be provided by the good people of Concordia. Please give us a heads up if you plan to attend! Contact duluthcatholicworker@gmail.com or call 218-461-8505.

Outreach Team Needs Your Help!

A one-day survey in 2012 found 182 people in Duluth and St Louis County living on the streets: in cars, under bridges, in condemned buildings and camping in urban parks. We believe there are many people who were not counted in the survey, and the numbers are growing dramatically. They include families, unaccompanied youth, veterans, the recently jobless, and people with serious and persistent mental illness. This is a hard life at best, and extremely dangerous during northern Minnesota winters.

Loaves & Fishes recently teamed up with Human Development Center, CHUM, Salvation Army and Life House to launch a new, coordinated street outreach project. We will be combining our efforts and training a team of volunteer outreach workers to help connect people living on the streets with resources and, eventually, housing.

If you are interested in joining the volunteer street outreach team, please contact Joel at duluthcatholicworker@gmail.com or 218-724-2054. Our first training will be July 18 from 5-7pm at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (219 N 6th Ave E, Duluth).

In the meantime, we need supplies! Donations can be delivered to Dorothy Day House (1712 Jefferson, Duluth) between 9am and 9pm daily, or the Homeless Project (315 N 2nd Ave W, alley entrance) between 10am and 5pm weekdays.

Street Outreach wish list

• Two-person tents
• Tarps
• Sleeping bags
• Clean socks
• Rain gear
• DTA fare cards
• Bug repellent and sunscreen
• Granola bars and bottled water
• Personal first aid kits
• Backpacks