Donate to Caleb: Winter Shelter Hero

I am a member of BSWERS lead team. The lead team organizes and often works at Bloomington's severe winter emergency shelter. I met Caleb Hoagland when I pitched the idea of starting a winter emergency shelter that opened during particularly cold or snow nights. Members of the lead team, like Caleb, currently run the shelter as volunteers, putting in a lot of time and effort to ensure that we can provide more shelter space for Bloomingtonians, particularly Bloomington women, on bitterly cold nights. Caleb is truly a winter shelter hero, working most nights we have opened and providing essential support to guests and volunteers to keep the shelter running. Caleb also helps a ton behind the scenes, voluntarily soliciting donations, making sure the shelter is stocked and ready with supplies, and making connections with community partners to help everyone who comes to our door, even when the shelter is full. Caleb has been doing this entirely as a volunteer and though he might not say so (bc I know he is grateful to be working with the shelter)--It has been a lot of work and I am constantly amazed that he continues to have the energy and passion to keep doing this work each week.

The lead team recognizes how essential the level of work Caleb is doing is to BSWERS and are working on fund requests for a staff position, but Caleb's hours at work have been cut recently, and I want to ensure his financial needs are met QUICKLY. You may have seen recent weather reports that predict extremely cold weather for multiple weeks in January. Our community NEEDS Caleb devoting his time and energy to keeping our unhoused community members warm during the winter, but that means our community also needs to work together to ensure Caleb is able to pay his bills and meet his needs. The quickest way I can see that getting done is by each of us pitching in a little to help Caleb with his living expenses for January and February. Please donate and show Caleb how much we love and support him. Thank you!

(PS. this is totally me doing this on my own with Caleb's consent... so though I work for a church, this isn't a tax-deductible fundraiser)