Street Outreach Team Working To Help Homeless This Winter

80-120 People Are Homeless In Duluth

According to a representative of CHUM, around 80 to 120 people face homelessness in Duluth at any given time.  These numbers get particularly worrisome during the cold winter months. 

The police responded to a call Tuesday night about a man sleeping out in the cold, but when authorities arrived, the man has already left.

So police called Deb Holman, a street outreach worker for CHUM and the Human Development Center.  

On Wednesday morning, Holman helped police find a man sleeping in the snow.

“Way too cold for someone to be sleeping outside. He didn’t have his shoes on, he didn’t have any gloves… he had a blanket but it was way too thin for him,” said Jeff Webster, a patrol officer for the Duluth Police Department. 

The man said he could not feel his hands or feet.

“Due to his mental health and the conditions of the weather outside, we took him to the hospital to get checked out, especially for frost bite and other things,” said Webster. 

But this is not an isolated case. Even in the severe cold, some people who are homeless sleep outside.

“Maybe they have anxiety, they just can’t be in enclosed spaces some people just don’t like it,” said Holman.

She said organizations like CHUM rely on the community to help people who are homeless.  

“We really rely on tips from the community and the police officers and anyone who witnesses any kind of homeless, encampment, or people that might need assistance that might be homeless,” said Holman. 

If you see any people who might be struggling with homelessness, call the Outreach Hotline at 218-461-8505.