The Crow Wing Power Community Trust Board met in special session on October 20, 2021 to hear a proposal from Bridges of Hope for a shelter project for adults that don't have a warm place to sleep. At the end of the presentation the Trust Board voted to provide a $15,000 Operation Round Up® grant to help support the project.
It was not long after that meeting community awareness was raised about the need for a homeless shelter. Within three weeks, the project had exceeded its goal to raise $275,000 for the first year of operation. Community support was overwhelming.
The Bridge on 7th Overnight Shelter opened its doors on Friday, December 3, 2021 and with the last day of the season on Friday, April 29. Throughout the first season- 147 nights, 78 unique individuals experiencing homelessness, and offered in total 942 nights of shelter from the cold Minnesota Winter.
Located at 1919 Sixth Street, The Bridge on 7th, offers a warm place to sleep for 12 hours. It is open from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. and provides adult clients with a cot, a pillow, a blanket and a locker for their personal belongings. Walk ins are accepted from 7 - 11 p.m., and there is no limit to how many nights you can stay at the shelter.
The shelter is supervised at all times by trained staff members who can recognize needs and direct clients to appropriate community resources if desired.
Within its second season, the shelter continues its goal to provide a safe, warm, decent place for people to sleep. To learn more about this program visit bridgetsofhopemn.org/warmingshelter
The Operation Round-Up® charitable-giving program is made possible by Crow Wing Power members who have their electric bill rounded to the nearest whole dollar (an average of 50 cents/month). It's cooperative members working together that makes a big difference in our communities. Operation Round Up® has donated over $4.1 million to human health and well-being charitable organizations in Cass, Crow Wing, and Morrison County since 1996.