As temperatures plummet to life-threatening lows, I am often asked: What is Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities doing to help our neighbors experiencing homelessness? This question takes on added urgency during winter weeks at the beginning of winter when Ramsey County works to open emergency warming spaces in response to the escalating need.

Last month, several news outlets highlighted the out-of-the-ordinary decision by Ramsey County Law Enforcement to open its lobby as a refuge for those sleeping outside in dangerously cold conditions. The City of Saint Paul modified zoning ordinances to resume the number of beds at Safe Space. These moves underscored the critical importance of a community stepping up to protect its most vulnerable members.

Joe Soucheray, in his recent op-ed in the Pioneer Press, reminded us of something essential: as Minnesotans, we should know how to keep our neighbors warm. He’s absolutely right. Yet, too often, we place the responsibility solely on the government, expecting them to shoulder the full burden of keeping people safe from the harsh realities of winter.

While government programs play a vital role, they cannot do it alone. The issue of homelessness is too vast and complex for any single entity to address. It requires all of us—government, nonprofits, businesses, faith communities, and individuals—to come together in compassionate collaboration.

At Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, we’ve been doing just that. When Ramsey County had to reduce its emergency shelter capacity for men, we acted quickly, building bunk beds in an overflow room to create additional warm, safe spaces. We also opened our lobby as a refuge, further expanding our capacity to the maximum allowable until the Ramsey County warming spaces opened this week. And let’s not forget that the faith community is stepping up to the challenge as two of the four warming spaces are located in church buildings.

The efforts we have made do stretch our staff and resources, but they reflect our unwavering commitment to serve those experiencing homelessness, hunger and addiction. We see each act of care as an extension of the generosity and compassion of our donors and community stakeholders and the act of showing God’s unconditional love. Together, we are the hands and feet of hope, providing warmth and shelter when it is most desperately needed—and then a pathway to stability and long-term housing.

As Minnesotans, we know winter’s unforgiving bite better than most. But we also know the power of community. At Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, we will continue to stand in the gap, doing everything we can to meet the needs of our unhoused neighbors with compassion, excellence and dignity because no one should have to face the deadly cold alone.

—Pam Stegora Axberg, CEO

 

To support the work of Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, you can donate here.