Luther Place Night Shelter

Bethany and I spent last night volunteering at the Luther Place Night Shelter. The shelter is part of N Street Village and is founded by Luther Place Memorial Church. The shelter is for women who are looking for shelter for 6-12 months and are interested in making progress in their lives. During each woman's stay they are assigned a caseworker who will help the women obtain long-term housing and a an income. The women are required to do chores, personal hygiene, health exams, and help with medications. Each of us will eventually stay a night here and help the women with taking medications, waking up, getting supplies, etc.
We arrived at 9:45pm last night and spend some time chatting with the women and getting to know them. They are all very wonderful and special women. Lights were out at 10pm with the kitchen closing at 11pm. We were in charge of locking up the place and making sure everyone was where they needed to be. We slept in the office of the shelter with our door slightly open in case the women needed us. Morning came early at 6am with us being the wake-up call for all the women. We opened the kitchen, unlocked the doors, and helped the women with their medications.
They have a very supportive and progressive approach here at the Luther Place Shelter. This experience makes me want to look around us in my own community (Minneapolis) and see what shelters they offer. I also want to know if they have any programs helping women to obtain an income and long-term housing. Luther Place Night Shelter and N Street Village have an atmosphere of respect for each woman and this is something to be valued.