Advocating for More Shelter

Date of the Event: Winter of 2017

What's The Gist?

This moment was about bringing awareness to people that may not have a lot of resources in order to be able to have shelter when severe weather happens.

CUSH is the organization that spearheaded the advocacy
The Rev. Justin Elliot Lowe, at right, associate pastor of First United Methodist Church, sang carols before the City Council meeting.
Declaring winter emergency, group addresses need for shelter for homeless in Kenosha area.

What are the details?

Some men and women with drug, alcohol and mental health problems are not eligible to enroll at the Shalom Center.

  • The people with these problems were not able to go to the Shalom Center because of the problems that they had and that with some of these men and women they were having a hard time with being able to go to the Shalom Center.


Kempinen said advocates, she added, must build relationships with the homeless community so they accept shelter.

  • Kempinen is saying to build a relationship with the homeless community so that the homeless will accept the help that they are giving to help them with finding a shelter.

First Step closed in May and, as the temperature drops, the task force is hoping to find some solutions before severe cold sets in.

  • The task force is going to have a hard time for finding places for the homeless because the First Step closed and that the temperature is dropping and they have to find some solutions before the severe cold weather started to set in.


Dozens marched from Immanuel United Methodist Church to the Municipal Building Monday evening to raise awareness for some of the city’s most vulnerable by singing Christmas carols before the city Council meeting.

  • Many people marched from Immanuel United Methodist Church to the Municipal Building on a Monday evening right before the City Council meeting because they wanted to raise awareness for some of the city’s most vulnerable by singing Christmas carols.

Who was involved? How were they were involved?

  • Karen Kempinen -Co-chair of the nonprofit’s Homeless Task Force and other advocates.

  • Marieta Huff -Member of CUSH’s Unsheltered Homeless Task Force.

  • Rev. Justin Elliot Lowe -Associate pastor of First United Methodist Church at the time.

  • The 17 member congregations of CUSH.

Why is this event/moment important to the Uptown Community and greater Kenosha?

This moment is important because if CUSH and the nonprofit Homeless Task Force did not raise awareness to the people who needed to get help then a lot of people would not survive the severe weather. In one of the news articles it states that “Lowe said 15 to 30 people face death and disease as the temperature drops.”


Sources:

CUSH demonstration today to underline needs of homeless _ Local News _ kenoshanews.com.pdf
CUSH demonstration today to underline needs of homeless
(Kenosha News Nov. 15th, 2017)
CUSH calls for immediate action for homeless _ Local News _ kenoshanews.com.pdf
CUSH calls for immediate action for homeless
(Kenosha News Dec. 4th, 2017)
CUSH 'thrilled' by use of Shalom shelter, developing other plans _ Local News _ kenoshanews.com.pdf
CUSH 'thrilled' by use of Shalom shelter, developing other plans
(Kenosha News Dec. 27th, 2017)

Author of Web Page

Ashleigh Ours an 8th Grade at Harborside Academy (May 2022)