FOND DU LAC – The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office deputies tossed their razors to raise money for the St. Katharine Drexel Homeless Shelter project at the end of 2020.
County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt and the Sheriff’s Office deputies presented a $3,600 donation check Friday to project leaders in the St. Vincent de Paul parking lot. They raised the money participating in “No Shave November” and “Double Down December,” where employees could donate $50 to wear a beard in November and December, which is usually against policy, Waldschmidt said.
All employees were also eligible to donate what they could in this second year of fundraising through “No Shave November.” This year’s recipient was chosen after the standalone St. Katharine Drexel Homeless Shelter was announced last fall.
The Sheriff’s Office works with the county’s homeless often, including both the law enforcement and jail staff.
“Patrol works with homeless who oftentimes live out of vehicles and park in rural areas overnight, and sadly we encounter people who have no shelter and live outdoors, even in the winter,” Waldschmidt said. “Our jail staff works with inmates who sometimes have nowhere to go when released, and we work with them to find a safe place to live as they transition back into society.”
Groundbreaking for the new shelter is scheduled for this spring on the north end of the property currently owned by St. Vincent de Paul, 330 N. Peters Ave.
In a partnership between St. Vincent de Paul and the Solutions Center, it will be able to accommodate up to 100 clients, providing a warm, safe place with separate wings for families with children, and single men and women that are facing homelessness, Fond du Lac’s Director of Homeless Services Amy Loof said in October.
Since the announcement in October, the program has hired a contractor and is awaiting the state’s approval of the plans, on track to start construction by March 3, according to Robert Hartzheim, St. Vincent de Paul’s President of the Council.
Hartzheim commended the Sheriff’s Office’s effort to contribute to the shelter, which is “bigger than any project St. Vincent de Paul has done before,” he said.
Fundraising in this way gives Sheriff’s Office staff a chance to do something fun and different while raising money for a worthwhile cause.
“This homeless shelter will give both our patrol and jail deputies another option in our efforts to help get those who have fallen on unfortunate times for one reason or another, a safe place to stay as they work to get back on their feet,” Waldschmidt said. “The more stability we can provide them in their life, the faster they can resume a safe and secure life every citizen deserves.”
Community members can also donate to the shelter through St. Vincent de Paul- St. Katharine Drexel Homeless Shelter, PO Box 1473, Fond du Lac, WI 54936-1473.
Contact Daphne Lemke at 920-907-7968 or dlemke@gannett.com.
RELATED:Fond du Lac’s first standalone homeless shelter has a name and a benefactor
RELATED:Fond du Lac School District seeks public input in search for their next superintendent
Source: www.fdlreporter.com
