Our Winter Outreach program was active November, December, and through March this year. In the winters of 2023-2025, we gave out a huge amount of emergency warming gear to unsheltered people on the street - propane heaters and propane, tents, tarps, subzero sleeping bags, winter survival kits. This was also thanks to our work receiving a groundswell of support online, which we converted immediately into the needs of those we work with & know. Our mission aims to reach people in solidarity with what they're experiencing (exposure to the elements, which can be fatal in severe conditions - health issues, mental health issues, joblessness, loss of ID's & belongings, disorientation). We successfully helped several folks (including families with children or pregnant people) get into housing over the last few years.
We've also supplied, run volunteers for, or run Emergency Zero-Barrier temp shelters 3 winters in a row. In 2024, we ran a 40 bed shelter during the worst of the cold at Valor Village's Bethel Church in coordination with Peter & Paul Community Services' 40 bed shelter. Together, we brought 80 zero barrier beds online, and saved many individuals with animals who would have been stuck outside in dangerous temps. We've since welcomed one of the affected individuals, whom we have since helped get into housing, onto our Accessibility Advisory Board and are proud and excited to work with him to make everything we do yet more disability-friendly.
When we say we have given out tens of thousands of handwarmers all across City and County during cold snaps, we're not kidding. Our organization kicks ass and has the training to go out in subzero temps. In addition, on an annual basis we help rescue / source aid for people experiencing severe frostbite including loss of digits. Our work to continue supporting severe frostbite victims is ongoing.
What we do is quite literally lifesaving. As Saint Louis warms up more and more each new summer, we fine tune our Summer outreach program as well. We need just as many resources for scorching weather as for subzero temps. People are at extreme risk of dehydration and heat stroke without supports such as hydration + electrolytes, coupled with ready to eat food, tents and medical aid. We prioritize the mental health of our wide-ranging clientele, who experience severe physical impacts as mental health degradation. Therefore, it is highly needed to support people during the heat as well as the cold. In 2023, our Summer Outreach program saw around 100,000 hydration units distributed to people experiencing dehydration as a result of the ever-worsening summer temperatures in St Louis. We are currently in a funding pinch, and we are raising funds so that we can do this again.
Our goal for 2025 is to continue working on our new community garden in Marine Villa in concert with their neighborhood association. Please support what we do! We need resources for the community.