Tim Ryan tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader photo by Tim Ryan Volunteer Mary Raether talks with a visitor during the open house Saturday of the new Sam’s House homeless shelter in Shawano.
Leader photo by Tim Ryan SAM 25 Board President Muffy Culhane stands in the kitchenette of Sam’s House during an open house for the new homeless shelter Saturday.
More than 150 people turned out Saturday for the open house and blessing of an emergency homeless shelter in Shawano.
Shawano Area Matthew 25 opened the doors of Sam’s House for public tours of the shelter at 213 E. Green Bay St. after nearly three years of working to make the shelter a reality.
“It’s taken a lot of work, and I’m just tickled to be where we are now,” said Muffy Culhane, president of the board of SAM 25. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us as well, but things have fallen into place. We have the blessings from above to make it happen as quickly and as well as it has so far. We’re hoping for that to continue and I’m sure it will.”
Culhane said the shelter has received overwhelming support from the community in the form of financial donations and supplies.
“It’s been heartwarming, the outpouring of support,” she said.
The shelter’s furniture was donated by ThedaCare from the old Shawano Medical Center.
Moede Plumbing helping get the kitchenette ready to use, while Stone Creations donated a counter top.
Mats were provided by the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.
SAM 25 is leasing the building from Shawano Municipal Utilities.
Culhane said people in the community are also offering to bring in meals for guests each night, and volunteers can sign up to provide meals or make other donations at www.sam25.org.
Contributions to SAM 25 are tax-deductible and will be matched dollar-for-dollar by donations from the Shawano Area Community Fund and an individual grant.
“That was a huge help getting us on our feet,” Culhane said.
A charity concert by Skip Jones and Friends on Oct. 17 raised $1,800 for SAM 25. A quilt sale and a variety of homemade baked goods provided a refreshing intermission from the musical entertainment.
A fundraising concert by Skip and Zig Zeitler’s group, which specializes in Irish music, is being planned for March.
The shelter’s fundraising efforts will be ongoing, Culhane said.
“There’s going to be a big gas bill for heating to pay, as well as utilities and insurance,” she said. “We have one and a half full-time equivalent paid staff that will be staffing at night.”
The shelter received a multi-denominational blessing Saturday morning from Allen Christensen, pastor of the Church on the Hill United Methodist Church in Shawano; Mike Grzeca, deacon of St. Martin’s Parish in Cecil; John Anderson, pastor of Hope Community Church in Shawano; and Jim Lonick, deacon of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Shawano.
Grzeca said the shelter had been a long time coming and was the result of the hard work of a lot of people.
“We’re so very happy this was able to happen today, along with the community support,” he said.
Grzeca read a verse from Matthew Chapter 25, which gave SAM 25 its name, saying the idea that “what you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me,” was the inspiration for the shelter.
Among the many visitors Saturday morning was a woman looking to be among the home’s first guests when the shelter began taking homeless in on Sunday evening.
Though there had been some concerns expressed about the opening of a homeless shelter in Shawano’s downtown retail area, Shawano Police Chief Mark Kohl said there had been no issues during the first few days of the shelter’s operation.
He said the shelter has had several guests since opening Sunday.
“It seems to be running smoothly,” he said.
All of the guests undergo background checks before being admitted. The shelter operates from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The group plans to run the shelter from November through April.