The Street Angels are working to help those who are homeless this winter by gaining an understanding of what they have to go through in a 48-hour challenge.
The outreach group took it to the streets with nothing but sleeping bags as they slept on the pavement beginning Friday night outside near West Burnam Street.
"It got really cold, we ended up getting damp, we had rats running around our heads so needless to say we did not sleep at all," said Eva Welch, executive co-director of Street Angels.
Saturday night they spent at Wilson Park near a concrete pavilion. Despite the 45 degree weather, the group remained hopeful as they kept emphasizing that this circumstance is only temporary while for many this is their reality.
Their intention in doing this challenge is to be able to gain an understanding of what our homeless population here in Milwaukee might face this winter.
"We learn lessons. We understand now why they might ditch their blanket that we give them on Tuesday and we see them Thursday and they have no blankets because it is not easy to carry a sleeping bag around," said Welch.
The Street Angels are currently assisting more than they anticipated and fear things could worsen as winter nears.
"We've seen an increase in numbers lately, almost 180 people 3 nights a week, those numbers have increased all throughout the summer and we're worried about the winter with very little warming space," said Dan Grellinger, the board secretary with
"Here in Milwaukee, the shelters are already full and winter hasn't even hit yet," said Welch.
Their goal is to raise $150,000 to help fund an emergency warming center that will be open 7 days a week available for 25 people at a time. They plan on opening the warming center on Nov. 1 whether or not they reach their financial goal.
"Whether we meet our goal or not, if we don't meet our goal we will find ways because it is our goal every winter to save lives," said Welch.
The Street Angels are encouraging all to donate throughtheir website fundraising pagein helping them meet their $150,000 goal to fund their warming center.
