photo by: City of Lawrence screenshot

Misty Bosch-Hastings is pictured at a Lawrence City Commission meeting on Oct. 17, 2023.

More than 135 people filled the Lawrence Community Shelter on Sunday night during the height of the winter storm, with some staff members being transported to work by all terrain utility vehicles due to the icy roads.

Lawrence Community Shelter Executive Director James Chiselom said the icy roads made it much more hectic to get people to the shelter, but ultimately 137 people were housed at the shelter overnight, and no one was turned away.

But the effort to get the shelter prepared for the rush of people was substantial, including the City of Lawrence sending out all terrain vehicles to pick up staff members of the shelter who could not get out of their driveways. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and community members pitched in to help transport people to the shelter.

“It’s been all hands on deck,” Misty Bosch-Hastings, the director of the city’s Homeless Solutions Division, said.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

An all-terrain vehicle used by the Homeless Response Team is pictured on Dec. 11, 2024.

Chiselom, though, said he believe the winter operations have been smoother than they were a year ago. The city and homeless service providers have been doing joint planning this past year to better coordinate and create a new response plan.

“The system we put in place after learning from our mistakes last year is definitely working,” Chiselom said.

The plan involved four local churches opening up to accommodate extra people when the Lawrence Community Shelter fills up. Bosch-Hastings said that the overflow shelters were first needed starting Saturday evening, when the region was hit with freezing rain and a layer of ice that made travel treacherous.

Bosch-Hastings said the icy roads meant some people who had volunteered to help had to cancel because they couldn’t get out of their driveways. In addition, the city had to close all of its facilities, including some that may have served as warming facilities.

The challenges caused by the ice meant that the shelter went from overnight service to becoming a 24-hour situation. Bosch-Hastings said that added a lot to the team’s plate.

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

James Chiselom, the new executive director at the Lawrence Community Shelter, is pictured Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.

The frigid temperatures are expected to continue throughout the week, so Bosch-Hastings said the emergency plan and overflow shelters will be operational. Now that the roads are starting to clear, Bosch-Hastings hopes the city’s warming facilities and the Lawrence Public Library will be able to open again, which means her team will be able to check on people who decided to shelter in place.

Chiselom said he’s expecting guest numbers at the shelter to grow from the 137-mark that was posted on Sunday night. Wind chills below zero are expected each morning until Wednesday according to the National Weather Service in Topeka, and the low temperatures over the extended period of time means more people will want to come seek shelter, he said.

Bosch-Hastings said the community response and help from volunteers — like the First United Methodist Church and University Community of Christ who operate the overflow shelters — have been so crucial. Other groups have helped provide meals to people staying at the overflow shelters, while Chiselom said the LCS has been able transport food both days to other locations like The Village to ensure everyone in the shelters have been taken care of.

Now that the road conditions are better, Bosch-Hastings hopes people who have previously volunteered are able to sign up again and add more “manpower” to ensure everything can operate to the highest capacity — more information about volunteering can be found here. But despite the challenges from the ice, Bosch-Hastings said the shelters have been able to serve the purpose of protecting others.

“We’re faced with a bunch of grateful people that are happy to be in a warm place,” Bosch-Hastings said.