Environment
City of La Crosse to use neighborhood center as daytime shelter for upcoming cold weather
The threat of more cold weather in the next week has led to plans to use the south side neighborhood center again as a community shelter.
The city will open the building on 6th Street as a daytime shelter starting this Sunday, January 29th, and continuing through Thursday, February 2nd. Shelter hours will be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each of those days, but overnight shelter is not planned at this time.
The building was used as a place to stay overnight for several days around Christmas.
Mayor Mitch Reynolds says the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities have asked the city to help provide daytime shelter from the weather, which is expected to include sub-zero temperatures for much of next week. Reynolds says the center could hold as many as 75 people during those daytime hours.
The mayor says funding to provide services for the unsheltered is needed, but the city does not need contributions of food or blankets.
The City will again provide security and cleaning services. This will be provided through funding from the community and financial support from Gundersen Health System and Mayo Clinic Health System. The La Crosse Community Foundation continues to accept donations to support the City’s shelters designated to provide a safe, clean and warm place for those individuals during extreme weather conditions. Donations can be made at https://www.laxcommfoundation.com/.
“We continue to look to our local organizations to use their resources and expertise to provide individualized services to help those who are unsheltered in our community — not only during dangerous weather conditions but year round,” said Mayor Reynolds.
This use of the South Side Neighborhood Center during this time period will not disrupt any scheduled events at the facility.
Kent Porter
January 31, 2023 at 10:18 am
Where do the HOMELESS go at night , The salvation army and Catholic Charities won’t take in folks on drugs and booze , let’s get them off dope and jobs , or arrest them for drug posession, drinking in public and vagrancy , Thats what would happen to me if the Police pulled me over with pockets full of crack and a paper bag with a open bottle of vodka in it , also I belieive you have to have some money on your person , like 4 $ or your a vagrant . ENOUGH of this Mayor letting these HOMELESS off the hook , What are they votes for him or what ?????? Write in Kent Porter for Mayor next time around , Homeless will become working tax payers or they can go somewhere else to be BUMS !!!!!!