In the past five years, United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s Comforts of Home program has helped stabilize nearly 8,000 people from across the region recovering from crises.
They’ve traveled to UWNEMN’s Chisholm office from across the organization’s 11,000-square-mile service area, including all of the Iron Range, Koochiching County, and Lake of the Woods County, referred by advocates, school staff, county staff, mental health providers, and UWNEMN Partner Agencies like American Red Cross.
“When people are impacted by disasters, the timing of when they are ‘ready’ for long-term recovery help is as varied as the families we all collectively serve,” said American Red Cross Serving Northern and Central Minnesota Executive Director Dan Williams. “One of the great things that I appreciate about the Comforts of Home program is that it will be there, ready to help, when an individual person or family has their housing situation stabilized and they are ready to re-supply their home to build on their recovery.”
Many who access the program are moving into new housing after surviving a house fire or flood, or they are getting on their feet, recovering from addiction or homelessness. Some are students or parents leaving unsafe living conditions.
When they arrive, they’re greeted by UWNEMN staff who give them a tour of UWNEMN’s Comforts of Home warehouse, filled with brand new home essentials like pillows, towels, bedding, and dishes. They “shop” the shelves at no-cost for the items that meet their unique needs and circumstances.
Hibbing Check and Connect Mentor Jamila Henderson regularly refers students to Comforts of Home when they have been couch surfing or unhoused.
“Any time I need anything for my students, I always reach out to UWNEMN,” she said. “Comforts of Home just supports them bigger than we can even imagine.”
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For years, nearly 100% of products on UWNEMN’s Comforts of Home shelves were donated by Bed, Bath, and Beyond stores across the state. Hibbing and Mountain Iron Walmart stores and Hibbing Lowe’s have since stepped in to fill the gap left by Bed, Bath, and Beyond stores’ closures, keeping the program’s shelves full and stores’ unsold items out of landfills.
Local businesses, organizations, and student groups have also held drives to support Comforts of Home, and in recent years UWNEMN has found itself purchasing items to ensure shelves are stocked with the highest demand items.
For the first time ever, the organization is calling on the public for help stocking the shelves.
“We are always evaluating our programs to identify gaps and opportunities to better serve people in our community,” said UWNEMN Resource Development & Events Director Elizabeth Kelly, noting the program’s growth to include “Welcome Home Baskets,” laundry filled with more than $100-worth of cleaning items and paper products necessary for any move as well as “Surfing Kit” duffle bags of comfort and hygiene items (valued at $150/bag).
Welcome Home Baskets are sent home with all Comforts of Home beneficiaries, and Surfing Kits are packed by volunteers and distributed to schools region-wide to have on-hand when students are identified as transitionally unhoused or couch surfing.
“We know Comforts of Home is making a difference as it is, but the current nature of the program means we never know exactly what will be on the shelves,” Kelly said. “We would love to be able to ensure certain items are always available – and the only way to do that is to purchase those items ourselves or receive the items through our registry.”
December 2 is Giving Tuesday, the philanthropic counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and UWNEMN is focusing its Giving Tuesday efforts on the Comforts of Home program.
“Not only is this the season of giving and gratitude, it’s also – unfortunately – the season for house fires in our region,” Kelly said. “Comforts of Home support now helps us be better prepared to help our neighbors when they are in need.”
Donations to Comforts of Home can be made online or mailed to 608 East Drive, Chisholm MN 55719 (be sure to indicate that gift is for Comforts of Home).