Winter shelter to close, volunteers raise awareness

In five days the Interfaith Winter Shelter will close, and dozens of people experiencing homelessness in Bloomington will be out of a place to sleep.

Volunteers with the shelter camped out in Dunn Meadow Thursday to raise awareness on campus about the problems people without a permanent home struggle with every day, not only during harsh winter weather.

“This is a year-long issue,” said Karen Heminger, a shelter volunteer. “We’re trying to find a safe place for these people to stay, not just during the winter.”

Two tents were pitched on the outer edge of the meadow near Indiana Avenue. One had donations and informational handouts, the other was filled with local musicians to attract attention.

The donations tent not only accepted donations, it gave them. They had rows of bottles of juice and boxes of snacks for anyone who walked by and wanted them.

“We’re just trying to raise awareness,” Heminger said.

Every year before the shelter closes, its volunteers go to City Hall to plead for an
extension. Wednesday night there was a hearing at City Hall, but Heminger said she doesn’t count on a favorable response from the city.

There’s just not enough people in Bloomington during the summer to volunteer and support it, she said.

“I just think it’s asinine that all these buildings go unused all night, yet people are still looking for places to sleep,” Heminger said.

But those seeking shelter can’t even find it outdoors. Tent slashing is a trending attack on people experiencing homelessness, Heminger said.

She said at Wednesday’s hearing, one person explicitly said Bloomington police had slashed their tent.

So safety and warmth is sought for in unlikely places, like a jail cell.

“If it’s cold enough, people are more than happy to spend a night or two in the jail, to avoid losing a toe or a finger,” Heminger said.

But despite the relief of a warm bed and free meals, going to jail to escape the elements only perpetuates homelessness.

“A bad record makes it hard to escape that,” Heminger said.

She said she hopes the volunteers can spread as much awareness as possible before students go home before the summer.

“Even in the summer, there are rainy days,” she said.

Ashley Jenkins