Cooperative Winter Outreach Fundraiser

The city of Springfield only allots $10,000 a year for crisis cold weather shelter needs in our community, but the need is MUCH higher than that. This tiny budget is split up and dispersed to various organizations offering their buildings as shelter spaces and providing transportation within the Ozarks Alliance to End Homelessness shelter system.* Currently, these shelters are only open on nights when the temperature is forecasted to hit 32 degrees or below between the hours of 7 PM and 7 AM... this does not measure wind chill or the "feels like" temperature but the actual measurement from the National Weather Service.

Our group of progressive faith communities believes that all people deserve to be sheltered as much when it is 33 degrees as they do when it is 32 degrees- which is why we are combining efforts to offer an alternative shelter site that will be open every night during the winter season. This would be an inclusive shelter for anyone - regardless of gender identity or age to access warmth and safety when needed. To offer this we need to raise $50,000 to help fund salaries for shelter staff, food, cots, and building costs associated with this effort.

During the 2020 winter, COVID cut the capacity of crisis cold weather shelters in half, leaving many to struggle to survive on the streets or in encampments in our community. The Connecting Grounds (TCG) created a nightly outreach team that would go out to check on those who could not access shelter and distribute survival supplies such as; hot hands, blankets, socks, gloves, coffee, food, and more. Last winter we saw more than 400 people in need of survival supplies between mid-October and mid-March; we are anticipating a 25% increase in the need this year which means we need supplies for at least 563 people (and those are just those not able to access shelters or seek shelter at a friends or family member's home).

With these higher numbers, one night of outreach will cost approximately $1,888.51. TCG goes out anytime the temperatures are 45 degrees or below- we expect to go out 131 nights this coming winter which brings our estimated total cost of outreach (if we had to buy all supplies) to $268,888. However, we have a very generous community and we anticipate that half of this need will be provided through supply drives and donations. To ensure we have needed supplies for outreach this winter we need to raise $125,000 to fill in gaps in donations of food and survival gear.

Combining these two efforts, we are looking at a total fundraising goal of $175,000 to help fill in the enormous gaps in services and funding available through official organizations and budgets to support the most vulnerable members of our community this winter. Any amount that you or your organization(s) could give to help meet this need this winter would be deeply appreciated and carefully stewarded to love out loud.

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*The Connecting Grounds Outreach efforts have never been given any funds from the city to provide shelter or outreach at any time.

* The First Unitarian Universalist Church did not receive any funds from the city in 2020-2021 to provide their shelter.