LaPorte residents fund first ever overnight homeless shelter
LAPORTE, Ind.-- Regular people saw a problem and came up with their own solutions.
It's LaPorte's first overnight shelter and it's already changing lives.
“I had no money, nowhere to go, and no family to stay with, and 20 dollars worth of gas in my car," said homeless woman, Brenda Morgan.
Until a friend and a search on the internet gave her some hope.
“They were like, let me get on the inter-web, and they found some place for me to go," said Morgan.
She found LaPorte PADS, or LaPorte People Acting to Deliver Shelter, at the corner of Jefferson and Indiana Avenue in Downtown LaPorte.
Had she searched for an overnight shelter just 10 days ago, she would’ve come up empty handed.
“This is going on week two of our overnight shelter in LaPorte. There has not been an overnight shelter in LaPorte. All the overnight shelters are Michigan city, Valparaiso, South Bend. We finally have one in LaPorte for the residents if LaPorte, said LaPorte center township trustee, Lisa Pierzakowski.
It’s the first overnight homeless shelter completely funded by donations from the people of LaPorte.
“the church has been donated by Christ Church, pillows and blankets donated through the community, we’ve had supplies donated by community members. I don’t even know who to begin to thank.”
In just it’s first few days, the shelter has accomplished more than simply providing food, clothes, and a warm bed.
Their goal is to figure out the individual stories of each person and take it from there.
“Our first young man had an addiction problem, and we were able to get him into rehab. We had another young lady that needed an apartment. She’s actually moving in on Friday. A pair of gentlemen that weren’t working so now they’re working," said Pierzakowski.
So for Morgan, the LaPorte PADS shelter won’t be her last stop.
“They don’t judge you, they don’t look down on you. They’re glad to help you with a loving heart. I still need a permanent place to go, but at least I have some place for right now," said Morgan.
The homeless shelter is only temporary and will be running until April 15th.
In the mean time, they are working to make the shelter permanent.
LaPorte PADS is always taking donations.
You can contact the group here to help.