Twin Cities Homeless Shelter (PADS), which acts as a lifeline for housing insecure people in Sterling and Rock Falls, needs help during the holidays.
Sterling recently passed an ordinance banning public camping, so many people in the area don’t have a safe place to go during the day, increasing demand for the shelter’s services. PADS is a non-governmental emergency shelter that helps connect residence with resources for addiction recovery, mental health assistance and job opportunities. The shelter only has room for 32 people and there’s been a sharp increase in the number of residents. Before the pandemic, the shelter averaged six guests per night. These days nearly 30 people rely on PADS nightly, which is stretching the shelter’s limited resources to their breaking point.
“Sterling’s public camping ban has left many in our community without anywhere to turn since we don’t have the financial resources to remain open during the day,” said Myles Newberry, director of the Twin Cities Homeless Shelter. “We’re doing everything we can to provide safety and support, but we need the community’s help to continue making a difference. Over 90% of our residents are local to this area, so these people are our friends and neighbors who fell on tough times.”