Before you know it, the Northland is going to feel bone-chilling temperatures. People experiencing homelessness in Duluth are already struggling to keep warm during long frigid nights. Now it’s always important to have winter gear, but for people without homes, it’s an ongoing struggle to stay warm. Over the years, more and more folks have turned to Chum in their time of need. As they expand their supportive services, Chum needs donations of all kinds to continue operating their Warming Center.

Joel Kilgore, is the program organizer for Stepping on Up. He says Chum’s Warming Center can help people stay out of the cold temporarily. He added that it’s not a financially sustainable answer to solving long-term homelessness.

“We need help from the community to continue to operate here at the warming center. During cold weather emergencies if it’s not expected to get above zero degrees we’ll stay open 24 hours. Every day that we stay open cost us an additional $500,” Kilgour said. “So we’re seeing some days in the next week where we’re going to have to be open 24 hours.”

Its not easy for local warming shelters to keep up with demand. During snow emergencies there can be well over 200 folks needing their warming shelter. Later this year, Chum is expanding their shelter and provide more beds for folks in need. In the meantime, Kilgore says the key to helping people right now is through clothing donations. Other items that Chum needs are new hats, gloves, and winter boots. Other critical items are hand warmers, bus passes, and gas cards. Of course monetary donations always help too when Chum needs donations.

“I wish I could say it was all going to be solved next year. We’re dealing with an epidemic of homelessness that began in the 1980s. It has continued unabated since then,” Kilgour said. “It’s because we have not invested in housing and the support services that people need to live in independently. We are going to be able to provide more dignified shelter and begin to ease that bottleneck We can do better and ultimately the solution to homelessness is housing.”

Here’s more information on Stepping on Up you can read more here. Also here are other details about the Warming Center you can read.