Citizen-led group: Mitchell needs a homeless shelter
Apr. 10—MITCHELL — Although the number of people without a home in Mitchell may not be as high as in bigger cities, it is still an issue for the city of Mitchell. And a local group is trying to make a change.
Residents of Mitchell, including some in ministerial roles, workers from nonprofit organizations and others who are just concerned citizens, have joined together and are hoping to establish the city's only homeless shelter to assist the hundreds of people without a reliable place to stay.
The group, which formed last March, calls themselves "Home for Now." The group meets monthly on a Monday night at the Congregational United Church of Christ, where its president Reverend Matthew Richards is lead pastor. The group has been approved for 501c3 nonprofit status.
"We believe every person deserves access to safe and affordable housing and the essential services that help them thrive," Richards said.
Finding a way to shelter residents facing homelessness is a huge hurdle, according to Alex Freeman, the group's treasurer and a case manager for the Mitchell Salvation Army. Freeman estimates 15 to 30 people are seeking emergency shelter monthly, with numbers creeping higher in the summer and winter. And the options in Mitchell are limited. There is a housing center for domestic abuse victims and transitional housing for recovering male substance abusers. The unhoused can grab a bite to eat or get some clothes to wear at the Salvation Army.
"These people don't have anywhere to go. They want to be here," Freeman said. "It sucks we have to turn them away or send them to a different city."
Home for Now is committed though to their mission to meet the basic needs of those with nowhere to live and also to case management to help break the cycle. The citizen-led task force's short term goal is to get the most basic level of shelter going which is an emergency shelter. Richards sees a need in the town for a 20 to 30 bed emergency shelter now and that need is only going to grow. Ultimately they would like to provide a transformation place like that of the Bishop Dudley House in Sioux Falls or OneHeart in Rapid City, where all resources to become self-sustaining are available under one roof.
"Ideally, a place where we can provide leadership, advocacy, support and help them get on their own two feet," Richards said.
Until the group is able to get an emergency shelter up and running, their immediate and constant goal is to end chronic homelessness and build the homeless service system that is needed to best serve people experiencing homelessness. The group held its first actual event yesterday by holding a community homelessness awareness luncheon, where it offered a soup and bread bowl lunch for a free will donation.
"We plan to hold more events to get the word out. It will take a collective will, sufficient, targeted resources and a compassionate community will to be part of the solution," Richards said.
Richards would love to build a network of other faith-based and community organizations involved in the journey to providing sustainable solutions to address poverty and homelessness in Mitchell. Richards said help from the city would be wonderful, but is passionate about the project either way.
Mayor Bob Everson said that the group has come forward about the topic and that he has been approached by individuals stating Mitchell needs a homeless shelter.
"I can't speak to numbers with any certainty. However, if I am hearing it is a problem from the Ministerial Association and/or the Salvation Army, I tend to think there is an issue to some extent. However, my position on a shelter is that it should be addressed by the Ministerial Association or similar organization and not the city. I have on open mind with regard to an organization working to start a shelter, but the City has no real money to budget towards one. A nonprofit might be able to solicit enough donations to make a shelter work here in Mitchell," Everson said.
Home For Now's next meeting is Monday, April 22, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. at the Congregational United Church of Chris at 301 E. 4th Ave. in Mitchell.
