Members of the Washington University in St. Louis community can lend a hand to the many St. Louisans who find themselves homeless – and freezing cold. WUSTL’s Community Service Office again is partnering with the St. Louis Winter Outreach team, and there are a number of ways WUSTL community members can get involved.
Founded some eight years ago, St. Louis Winter Outreach (WO) exists to help those who find themselves outside on winter nights. More than 50 WO volunteer teams meet, drive around the city looking for those at risk and offer blankets, coats – or transportation for those willing to go to a shelter.
“When temperatures drop in St. Louis, most of us simply turn up the thermostat or pull an extra blanket on the bed,” says LuAnn Oros, community consultant for hunger and homelessness in the Community Service Office. “But for those sleeping on the streets or in abandoned buildings, extreme temperatures can mean the difference — literally — between life and death.”
Last year, the WUSTL community contributed more than 200 coats and many other winter items, Oros says. This year, with plenty of coats ready to be distributed, the focus of the campaign has turned to gently used blankets or sleeping bags, heavy socks, scarfs, hats and gloves, and food items such as granola bars, individually packaged snack crackers or nuts, tea bags, coffee and cocoa.
Based on last year’s need, the WO team estimates that it will need approximately 3,000 pairs of socks, 2,000 blankets and sleeping bags, 400 hats and 500 pairs of gloves, Oros says. This year, there are eight emergency shelters in the St. Louis area that will be active when temperatures dip below 25 degrees. Once at the shelter, people are given something warm to eat and drink and also dry outerwear if needed.
“Volunteering has been a humbling experience to me,” says senior pre-med student Paul Ahn, who has been working at the Hospitality Place since the winter break. “As people walk in, they were greeting me as I was greeting them. Every night has been like hanging out with your big brothers and big sisters, playing cards and talking about what’s been happening in our lives. I am so glad that there are people out there who are worried about the lives of homeless men and women.”
Volunteer Opportunities
• Volunteer at the Hospitality Place Shelter to greet guests as they arrive and make certain they are comfortable for the evening. The shelter is located only 1.35 miles from campus at 1000 E. Park Industrial Drive, just 1/8 of a mile west of the intersection of Skinker and Olive.
• Hold a departmental winter wear and food drive (or just go through your own closets and pantries) and deliver your collections any time before Jan. 31 to the Community Service Office, Danforth University Center, Room 150.
• Volunteer to be part of the Winter Outreach Team. Volunteers go with experienced outreach and social workers in small teams to find people who remain outside because of choice or because shelters have no vacancies.
For more information on any of these opportunities, contact LuAnn Oros, community consultant for hunger and homelessness in the Community Service Office, at luann.oros@wustl.edu.
To learn more about the Winter Outreach team, visit its Facebook page.