Meeting Needs in Norman

Food and Shelter, Inc. is known for the many ways the organization fulfills its title mission: helping people in and around Cleveland County meet basic needs. The nonprofit continues to rise to the occasion, most recently with the opening of a new shelter in Nor man at 109 W. Gray.

“Our plan is to transition the space into a year-round shelter,” said Executive Director April Heiple. “As Okla homans, we already know about our state’s extreme heat and extreme cold but there is also just an extreme need for unhoused people to find respite.”

Food and Shelter operates the new center privately but rents the space from the City of Norman. The property was previously used for storage. When the City’s warm ing shelter closed in June, a request for proposal (RFP) process opened for services transitioned to be indepen dent of municipal administration. Food and Shelter staff stepped up to apply their knowledge and proven skills at the new site, which opened Nov. 1.

The new shelter’s official name alludes to its hospitable but temporary nature: A Friend’s House. Beds are avail able to 26 men and 14 women in separate dorms for a total of 40 guests. Doors open at 5 p.m. and guests can check in until 10 p.m. A low barrier shelter, no ID is required to check in for a night and access related aid. All guests must be 18 and older to stay.

“We ask for names and basic information to comply with funder requirements,” said Heiple.

Food and Shelter staff and social workers work directly with guests from 5 to 8 p.m. to assess their needs, cre ate a plan and connect them with additional resources. A kennel partnership in the area is also available on an as-needed basis for those with pets, which can make it easier for guests to choose to spend the night inside.

“There’s a shared television available for movies, there are card tables and other activities. We’ve tried to make it feel like a friend’s house,” explained Heiple. “Home lessness lacks the wellness of stability that comes with housing. A person we’ll call ‘David’ slept here on our first night open and when he woke up and said ‘I feel like a whole new man’ because he got a full night’s sleep for the first time in a long time.

“Our community feels the macro needs, but we focus on micro needs for individuals. Access to a place to sleep and food to eat can mean the difference between feeling moti vated, hopeful and healthier and simply being unable to keep moving forward.”

Food and Shelter’s permanent location at 201 Reed Ave., about a mile away, is often the new site for guests to vis it in the morning, where they can shower, eat breakfast, wash clothes and get case management services.

Currently, no family rooms are available at A Friend’s House. Alternative spaces and motel vouchers are avail able from Food and Shelter for those who arrive with children.

“We are looking at different options for a true perma nent shelter. We are trying to acquire land that sits next door to us on the north or south to meet needs of what we require as a shelter and be accessible for other services like meals and case management,” said Heiple. “There are also some buildings for sale in the right locations. We expect to know soon about land options.”

As a United Way Partner Agency, Food and Shelter re ceives community support in a variety of ways, all of which have donors’ generosity in common. Its work would not be possible without the support of local volun teers. The organization continues to see unprecedented numbers even in light of recent economic conditions.

“The pandemic hurt the poor so much more than the general population. We have definitely seen an increase in the need for food support and have now started construction on a food pantry and free grocery store set to open in summer 2023,” said Heiple. “The number of people we have served throughout 2021 and 2022 is astronomically higher than before the pandemic.

“What we saw initially was people who lost their jobs and needed a food pantry. Now, we are also seeing people whose paycheck is simply not enough because increases in the cost of food, gas and rent make a paycheck more like half a paycheck. It’s not necessarily people on the streets in tents and encampments necessarily; it’s also people whose money has been enough historically. It’s seniors and parents with kids. There have been a record number of evictions in Cleveland County. We are so excited to have the food pantry to offer in the near future because if people are fed, they’re more likely to be able to pay their rent and keep their family housed.”

Being able to give guests something they want at Christ mas underscores each person’s humanity. Receiving items and monetary donations, volunteering or helping throw a party are just some of the ways community mem bers can help this holiday season and beyond.

Visit Food and Shelter’s website for more information at foodandshelterinc.org or call 405-360-4954.