Tale of Two Shelters

The folks in San Luis, Arizona, have seemingly pulled off the difficult task of building a refuge for some of the poorest in their city. Their public diner will also double as a place for the homeless to bathe, rest, and learn.

On the other hand, the homeless of Baraboo, Wisconsin, are still waiting for the local shelter to open; the project is struggling with debt and unable to complete construction.

I would guess the Arizonans ability to get the mayor involved with suggesting a location for their shelter (the old firefighters' house) was a reason for its' success. The group was able to appropriate a ready-made structure owned by the city for token rent payments. The Wisconsin group, on the other hand, has spent over $100,000 on land purchase and construction and needs another $60,000 to complete the project. They ran into unexpected delays and city code requirements as well as loss of pledged donors.

I have heard that in Islamic societies, charities were very creative, for instance running a shop at street level and the charity upstairs or in the back, such that the shop could support the charity. Would-be philanthropists should learn to (1) get the right people involved (2) reduce costs as much as possible and (3) come up with a reliable income stream to support their activity.

Homeless shelter struggles to open: Debts, lack of donor support keep the doors closed at Haven

San Luis Compassion Center to help needy