KC homeless shelters see influx in need as it gets cold. They’re asking for support
As temperatures drop rapidly, Kansas City homeless shelters are asking community members for donations to help them through the winter season.
Every year, homeless shelters and services across the metro area see an influx in need as temperatures drop below freezing. City council recently announced a plan to add more than 150 new shelter beds for people experiencing homelessness, but shelters in the area are still asking for community donations of winter gear and money.
Shelter KC facilities typically sleep about 60 people, but with temperatures dropping below freezing, Executive Director Eric Burger said they’re holding around 100.
Outreach workers are going to homeless encampments to bring coats and other materials and to tell people that they should go to the shelter in order to stay safe, Burger said. One man who recently came to the shelter collapsed from hypothermia when he entered and was taken to the hospital. He was wearing clothes made from paper.
“It’s the first cold that is usually the hardest,” Burger said, because people aren’t prepared for the sudden temperature drop.
City Union Mission has also initiated its cold weather program, meaning the shelter will “add as much capacity as we can” to ensure people experiencing homelessness can stay safe from the cold, according to Chief Development Officer Karl Ploeger. The shelter hit capacity last week, he said, and demand is high.
With inflation on the rise and people experiencing higher costs for food and other essentials, Ploeger said City Union Mission is also seeing more demand for its Community Assistance program. The service offers food, clothing, furniture and other needs to low-income women and families.
“They’re just needing more help this year than ever before,” Ploeger said.
Hope Faith, a day-time homeless assistance campus, served around 225 people Monday, compared to the usual 150 to 180 people a day at this time in past years, said Executive Director Doug Langner.
The organization will become an overnight emergency shelter for the first time Dec. 1. It will run and operate 80 beds available from Dec. 1 through the end of February.
How to donate
Shelter KC, City Union Mission and Hope Faith are asking community members to donate winter clothes, including coats, gloves, hats, mufflers and thick socks. At Hope Faith, more donations are needed for men’s apparel, as the organization has already received a good amount of women’s and children’s clothing.
“Those are things that are imperative,” Burger said.
Burger also asked any organizations or groups to hold a winter coat drive because jackets in good condition can be hard to come across. In addition, the shelter needs donations of razors, full-size lotion and body wash and men’s underwear and other personal care items.
Donations to Shelter KC can be taken to 1520 Cherry Street in Kansas City, and cash donations can be made at shelterkc.org.
To donate to City Union Mission, community members can drop off items at the organization’s warehouse at 1700 East 8th Street or make cash donations at cityunionmission.org/donate.
For Hope Faith, donations can be brought to 705 Virginia Avenue. Langner said community members should call ahead if they have larger donations.
Cash donations, which Langner said can often be stretched further through the organization’s winter gear partners, can be made at hopefaith.org.
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 2:21 PM.
