This year, the Manitowoc Warming Shelter on the ground level of First Presbyterians Church is opening this Wednesday (November 15th).
While they will be ready to welcome people out from the cold, NAMI Manitowoc County wants to help them out by doing an essentials drive.
Public Health AmeriCorps Member Whitney Andrastek came up with the idea after being a part of the Manitowoc County Chamber Leadership Program.
She tells Seehafer News, “Because of the program, we were divided into groups of 5 to 6 people and required to take part in a volunteer project that would help give back to the community.”
She later decided to launch the program by talking to groups NAMI has worked with before.
Essentials that the group wants to collect included bar soap, denture adhesive, feminine products, band-aids, and more.
Items should be dropped off at a box located around the city.
Manitowoc Cooperative Ministry Pastor Matt Sauer says when someone comes to the shelter, they will get the items.
“So guests when they are staying at the shelter each evening or morning they’re able to take what they need and use them for that night,” he explained. “They can take the rest with them or when they leave in the morning to take a shower or things like that so that’s how those are used. We don’t just prepackage them and just say here’s what you need because everyone might not need everything.”
Locations of the boxes can be found on NAMI Manitowoc’s website.
