By Neil Doyle
BLOOMINGTON – Arctic air will hit Bloomington-Normal and the rest of the area this weekend and next week. A local organization says they are worried about limited space at emergency shelters.
PATH Crisis Center executive director Karen Zangerle says this is linked to the coronavirus. Salvation Army’s Safe Harbor Homeless Shelter had a COVID outbreak and is working with the health department, but they cannot take in any new people. Home Sweet Home Ministries has limited capacity and is trying to prioritize women and children.
Zangerle says the City of Bloomington awarded funding at the beginning of the year and they received $18,000 from the Emergency Food and Shelter Grant. But PATH has already paid over $38,000 for hotels and the funding has run out.
“At this point I’m stealing from my own budget for other things in order to keep them housed through this weekend and then we’ll reach out to see if we can find some help,” says Zangerle.
“We have about 40 people who could be on the streets if we don’t help them during these very cold winters,” she said. “PATH is extremely dedicated to the fact that we don’t want someone to freeze to death on the streets.”
Zangerle says they don’t want people to be on the streets, but they are asking for the public’s help to provide sleeping bags, blankets and mittens to those who may need them. She says donations can be dropped off at 201 East Grove Street in Bloomington. More information can be found here.
The agency has dealt with a lot during the pandemic, but this is the worst so far, says Zangerle.
Neil Doyle can be reached at neil.doyle@cumulus.com
