Our Sisters’ House continues mission to end homelessness in Lincoln County

By Margaret Heykes

Executive Director, Our Sister’s House Emergency Shelter

TOMAHAWK – “Homeless people? In Tomahawk?”

 “Homeless people are just in the cities, like Chicago and Los Angeles.”

 “I’ve never seen homeless people in Tomahawk.”

Those are the common responses I hear when I tell people I’m the director of Our Sisters’ House Temporary Shelter (OSH), located at 328 E. Washington Ave., Tomahawk, next door to St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

When we think of homeless persons, the images that come to mind are the tent cities in big cities that we see on the news, or an unkempt person pushing their belongings down the street in a shopping cart. While that stereotype isn’t what we see in our small town, northern Wisconsin most certainly does have homeless residents, and it’s a growing problem throughout the area.

In a small town like Tomahawk, homelessness tends to be an invisible problem, but it’s a problem nonetheless – it’s the person sleeping in their car, someone living in a motel room, or spending the winter in a cabin without heat and plumbing, or even the family at the next campsite during your summer vacation.

So why do we have homeless people in the Northwoods, and who are they?

Once thought of as a strictly urban problem, rural homelessness is on the rise throughout the country, and Lincoln County has not escaped unscathed. The reasons are complex and varied, but include both economic and social issues.

Rental housing is in critically short supply in the region, and that shortage is pushing rents out of the reach of lower income families. While jobs are currently plentiful, wages haven’t kept pace with the increase in housing costs.

For parents seeking work, affordable childcare is difficult to find.

Lincoln County has a very limited number of subsidized and senior apartments, and persons who qualify can face waits of a year or more for an apartment to become available.

For the person with a history of a prior eviction or a less-than-perfect credit score, it becomes nearly impossible to find a place to live.

Social issues, especially on the tail of COVID-19, play an enormous role in homelessness.

A disproportionate number of persons who experience homelessness are trauma survivors – stories of sexual abuse or sex trafficking (often at the hands of a parent or other supposedly trusted adult) or physical abuse are common.

Physical and mental illness or disability, as well as substance abuse, also play an outsized role in a person’s risk for homelessness.

While the issues facing our homeless clients vary wildly from one person to the next, over the past year, the largest percentage of homeless clients assisted by Our Sisters’ House have been adults over 55 years old who are experiencing significant physical and mental disabilities, including long COVID. For the person struggling to cope with any of these stressors, it doesn’t take much to push them into a downward spiral from which they can’t escape without help.

OSH was started in 2014 as a non-profit organization with the mission to end homelessness in Lincoln and surrounding counties by providing a safe temporary residence and the help needed for families and individuals to develop a financially sound future and obtain a stable, permanent residence.

To qualify for admittance, a person must be homeless or living in a place not considered suitable for permanent habitation (such as a vehicle or campground), be able to pass a drug and alcohol screening, be living at or below the Federal Poverty Line, and not be a convicted felon or registered sex offender.

Upon admission to the shelter, we sit down with the client one-on-one and figure out the factors that led to homelessness, and then, together, devise an individualized plan to develop a stable, self-sufficient life.

Often, the first steps are as simple as getting the client a low-cost phone, because it’s nearly impossible in today’s world to find employment without phone and internet access, or setting up medical appointments and filling prescriptions.

To become self-sufficient, a person must have an income, so we assist with a job search for work-ready clients, or provide assistance in navigating the complexities of the disability system for those who qualify.

The final step is for clients to transition out of the shelter into a permanent residence. In spite of the scarcity of affordable housing, the majority of persons seeking assistance from Our Sisters’ House do exit into permanent housing, and it’s a happy day when someone departs the shelter for their own apartment.

Is it worth the effort to help? Of course – a stable, self-sufficient individual or family is an asset to our town; someone who shops at local businesses and uses local services, pays taxes, attends local events and makes up the fabric of the community.

We don’t do our work alone, though. Support from our community is vital to our mission – OSH is funded entirely by grants, fundraisers, contributions from area businesses and churches, and private donations.

How can you help? OSH is currently seeking volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors, assist with fundraising, or cover shifts at the shelter. Even if you only have a few hours to spare, we’d be happy to have you come and help out.

We also are always in need of groceries, cleaning supplies and household items – if you use it in your house, we probably use it in ours – and of course, financial donations (tax-deductible because OSH is a non-profit organization) are always greatly appreciated.

I often meet former shelter residents in my travels about town, working in local businesses or attending local events. It’s always gratifying to see a formerly homeless family enjoying the concert at the park, or run into a former resident at Fall Ride and hear they’re doing well.

It’s part of what makes Tomahawk such a great place to live, and a reminder of what we can accomplish when we all work together to make our community into a better place for everyone.

OSH can be contacted at 715-224-3520 or Oursistershouse.truth@gmail.com. OSH can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OurSistersHouseTomahawk.