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The
Salvation Army warming shelter faces a shortage of space this winter
despite receiving funding from Dane County to extend operations
year-round.

The
Dane County Board of Supervisors announced initiatives Monday to
increase funding for homeless programs. The county will increase its
funding by about $145,000 with the goal of increasing the number of
beds in shelters during the winter, extending shelter operations to
run year-round and creating a job assistance program.

The
problem facing the Salvation Army, however, is that their shelter is
already full. Paul Moore, Dane County Coordinator for the Salvation
Army, said the shelter opened a month earlier than in previous years,
adding the shelter has been at capacity since the first night.

"One
night we had 28 people show up for the 14 spots we have," Moore
said.

Moore
added the building that currently houses the shelter is not adequate
for year-round operations. He said the space available is not
sufficient for the winter and is certainly not enough to provide
shelter year-round.

According
to Moore, the Salvation Army has already started making contacts in
their search for a larger space.

"To
have this program run 12 months a year, we really need to treat
people in a better fashion than [having] them sleep on mats on the
floor," Moore said. "And so we need a facility where we can
operate during the summer."

Josh
Wescott, press secretary for Dane County executive Kathleen Falk, who
sponsored the initiatives, said this issue is important for the
county.

"We've
got the money to fund [the shelter] and operate it, and now we just
need some space," Wescott said.

Wescott
added the process of finding space is just beginning. He expressed
optimism that the problem will be solved.

"The
Madison area has kind of a long-standing tradition of folks helping
one another … in their time of need," Wescott said.

In
addition to a lack of space despite the increased demand for shelter
this winter, the Salvation Army is dealing with a decrease in
collections.

"There's
been a rather severe drop, and it's primarily due to the weather,"
Moore said. "As of this morning we're about $21,000 behind where
we were last year on this same day."

According
to Moore, the inclement weather has discouraged many volunteer
bell-ringers, who are generally older, from participating. Moore said
it has also been more difficult to service the collection baskets.

Steve
Hoitomt, a local resident who mans the post on the 400 block of State
Street, said he has noticed a decline in donations.

"I've
certainly [collected] a lot more money in the past," Hoitomt said.

Hoitomt
said he has been a bell-ringer for many years, and this is the most
snow he has ever seen during the bell-ringing campaign. He added it
has definitely been colder, however.

"I
would think the cold would keep people away a lot more than the
snow," Hoitomt said.