FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WGBA) — When shelters in Fond du Lac close, people experiencing homelessness are left without much-needed resources like food or hygiene products.
To fill that gap, a group of Fond du Lac organizations developed the Hope on the Block cabinet.
"Typically [the shelters] are only open, you know, standard business hours. So they're not open on weekends. They're not open on holidays," said Nick Teifke, a community partner of Hope on the Block. "That's the time that we're trying to give people resources to get them through."
"There's also a population that's kind of right on that brink between you know, being unhoused and having an apartment," Teifke said. "They're still in need. They may not be living on the street, but everyone is free to use the resources in this cabinet."
The cabinet is located outside the Fond du Lac Public Library, where hope on the block partner Nick Teifke says many unhoused people gather.
Lori Burgess, assistant director of operations at the library, said one of the goals of the cabinet is to make people in need feel safe.
"I think for people there throughout the community, people who are experiencing homelessness are often invisible," Burgess said. "Folks don't always like to see people who are struggling. And this is one way they can get some services, get some supplies that they need, and know that someone's thinking about them and that the community does care."
The cabinet opens when the library closes for the night and closes when the library opens.
In addition to supplies, the cabinet also offers information on more long-term resources for people in need of food or stable housing.
"We try to provide resources for people, so the next day after they visit this cabinet they know who to call," Teifke said. "So it's not just you know, giving people food and necessities, but it's also giving them resources."
Hope on the Block accepts donations through the Fond du Lac Salvation Army, the Fond du Lac Public Library, and the organization's website, which includes an amazon wishlist.
