OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Threshold CoCs street outreach team is out six days a week helping unhoused neighbors. In this extreme cold, operations have been amped up to help those with barriers to emergency shelter.
- Street outreach is passing out fliers with important resources available to neighbors in need and hand warmers, blankets and other emergency resources.
- Some barriers those experiencing homelessness face include shelters separating by gender and the impact this has on partners, pets are often not allowed, curfews are in place, and there are often sobriety requirements.
- Street Outreach will continue doing extra check-ups during this time while the dangerous cold weather lasts.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Even in this cold, some of our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness can’t turn to a shelter because of barriers. We’re meeting up with Threshold Continuum of Cares Street Outreach Program to try and break down those walls to help our neighbors in need
Street outreach takes to neighborhood streets six days a week looking to help neighbors experiencing homelessness but in this extreme cold, operations have been amped up, including additional hours to check in on anyone not using area shelters.
Melissa Neuenfeldt is a street outreach member and the Chief Operating Officer at HEAL Omaha, a partner nonprofit with Threshold.
"You know, for years I thought that the reason that people didn't access emergency shelter was because they didn't want to follow rules and that was their choice to not access shelter. But what I have learned in serving people directly who are experiencing homelessness is that there's many barriers for people accessing shelter," said Neuenfeldt.
One of those barriers; many shelters separate by gender, a challenge for partners.
“The experience of homelessness is traumatic, and the last thing that people want to do in a traumatic situation is separate from their significant other,” said Neuenfeldt.
Other barriers at neighborhood shelters; pets are not allowed. There can also be sobriety requirements and curfews are also put in place.
So, without forcing these neighbors to go to a shelter, people like Neuenfeldt and Pete Miller, the Street Outreach Manager with Threshold are doing everything they can to encourage neighbors to seek shelter, at least during this period of extreme cold.
They are also passing out fliers with important resources available to neighbors in need and hand warmers, blankets and other emergency resources.
"So, we are out here and we are doing the work and we are getting people connected with immediate safety but also long term safety as well," said Neuenfeldt.
Street Outreach will continue doing extra check-ups during this time while the dangerous cold weather lasts.
