Stock the Shelves
Winter’s Lifeline: Stock Our Shelves and Keep the Shelter Warm
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The winter air is brutal. It cuts, it chills, it isolates. When the cold settles in, it has a way of amplifying fear and vulnerability. It reminds us just how human we are—how much we need one another.
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For the people walking through the doors of our Night Shelter, that vulnerability is already a constant companion. And yet, when they step inside, they find a warm space created by commitment and care.
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Here’s the truth: It takes more than blankets and hot meals to create that warmth. It takes stocked shelves, sure, but also steady hands—the janitorial team cleaning the space, the staff offering support, and the washers humming with fresh laundry. It takes a whole lot of care and even more resources to hold it all together.
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And this January, we’re stepping boldly into new territory. In partnership with the City of Norman, we are now operating their 52-bed night shelter, extending the same unwavering commitment to dignity, safety, and support that defines our work in Oklahoma City. While continuing to provide vital services at our 140-bed shelter in OKC, this new collaboration allows us to expand our reach—ensuring more people have access to targeted interventions and expert housing navigation. It’s a big step, but one we’re taking together, with your support leading the way.
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Warm beds. Fresh linens. Hot meals. A kind word. Safety. Dignity. All of it made possible by you. But when the weather drops, and our usage increases, the shelves begin thinning, and the stretch is real. But you can help.
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Every dollar, every donation is a proverbial brick in this shelter—a barrier against the bitter cold and a signal of welcome to those who need it most. Your contribution ensures our guests can focus on more than survival and experience the respect and stability we all deserve.
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Homelessness comes with a staggering price tag for communities when left unaddressed. Oklahoma City’s most recent cost of homelessness study revealed that homelessness in our city costs taxpayers nearly $29 million each year. While crisis intervention services like EMSA, ER visits, and interactions with the police accounted for more than 50% of the city’s overall expense, including $160,000 for just one neighbor experiencing chronic homelessness, none of these encounters address the root cause of an experience with homelessness or get our neighbors any closer to their housing needs and goals.
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Comparatively, City Care’s homeless services offer these neighbors safety, security, targeted advocacy, and case management, expertly focused on root causes and barriers to stable housing for a fraction of the cost, 365 nights a year. Beyond immediate solutions to shelter and food, our guests receive a mailing address, long-term storage, transportation, essential ID support, and employment and housing navigation. Our advocates work to connect our guests with health care, community, and their highest aspiration for themselves and their loved ones.
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City Care provides evidence-based interventions to neighbors who would be sleeping on the street tonight if not for the warm welcome of our Night Shelter. This care costs $1,180 per person annually, representing a 99% decrease from the $160,000 example above. Your investment isn’t just helping someone through another night; it’s breaking the cycle and changing lives—and all for far less than the cost of doing nothing.
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Let’s make sure the shelves are full, the heat is cranking, the team is supported, and the coffee is steaming. Together, we’ll transform a brutal winter into something that feels like home.
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With gratitude and urgency,
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STACI SANGER
Chief Operating Officer
City Care
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