Did you know that Nest La Porte was utilized every night that the shelter operated last season? It’s true, and more importantly, this fact demonstrates the need for Nest to partner once again with the City of La Porte and the Center Township Trustee’s Office to provide a cold-weather emergency shelter this season. That’s not just a statistic; it represents real people who had a warm, safe place to sleep instead of facing the brutal winter elements. Every person who walked through our doors last season represents a life preserved, a crisis averted, and hope maintained during the darkest, coldest months of the year
How the Shelter Works
Our emergency cold weather shelter operates as a true community lifeline. Beginning on October 15th and running through April 15th, each evening at 5:30 PM, we open our doors at this historic train depot where we were housed last year. Guests can stay until 7:00 AM the following morning, giving them not just shelter from the elements but a full night’s rest in safety, warmth, and dignity.
This isn’t just about providing four walls and a roof. It’s about creating a space where people can restore their strength, connect with resources, and remember that their community hasn’t forgotten them.
We Can’t Do It Without You: Volunteers Needed
Last year’s overwhelming success was only possible because of volunteers that showed up to support this life-saving work. The heart of this shelter isn’t just in the building, it’s in the people who showed up, night after night, to serve their neighbors in need.
We’re looking for returning and new volunteers who can make a regular commitment. Maybe that’s every third Tuesday for the dinner shift, or twice a week helping with intake. Consistency matters because it allows us to build trust with our guests and ensures smooth operations every single night.
Ready to get involved? We’re hosting two information meetings where you can learn more about volunteer opportunities:
- August 16th at 9:30 AM at The La Porte County Public Library- Main branch-904 Indiana Ave, La Porte, IN
- August 26th at 5:00 PM at The LPCL Exchange Building- 807 Indiana Ave, La Porte, IN
Whether you have one evening a month or several nights a week to offer, there’s a place for you on our team.
A Special Call to Faith Communities and Commercial Kitchens
Nest La Porte serves as a place of refuge, but we have one significant challenge: we don’t have a commercial kitchen on-site. This is where we especially need our faith communities and local businesses with commercial kitchen facilities to step up as they did last year.
Every night, we need to provide dinner for our guests. Every morning, we need to offer breakfast. These aren’t just meals, they’re acts of care that tell pour guests that they matter, that they’re worth feeding, and that someone cares whether they’re hungry.
If your faith community, or business has a commercial kitchen and a heart for service, we need you. Whether you can help once a month or once a week, your contribution directly impacts lives.
Employment Opportunities: Join Our Mission As Staff at Nest LaPorte
For those called to make this work their vocation, we’re hiring for few positions at Nest La Porte. We’re looking for staff members who bring together the perfect combination of a big heart, unwavering dedication, and deep understanding of the challenges our guests face.
Fair warning: this includes overnight shifts. But for the right person, there’s nothing quite like being part of a team that literally saves lives through the hardest months of the year.
The Items That Make the Difference: Our Wish/ Needs List
Running a shelter requires countless everyday items that most of us take for granted. Right now, we’re collecting donations of essential supplies that keep Nest La Porte shelter running smoothly:
Pantry Staples:
- Cereal for quick, nutritious breakfasts
- Coffee, creamer, and sugar for warm morning comfort
- 5-gallon water bottles
Daily Necessities:
- Toilet paper
- Multifold towels
- Paper plates and disposable utensils for safe, sanitary meal service
- Napkins
These might seem like small things, but they mean the world to the guests we serve. Your donation of any of these items directly supports our ability to provide care.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
When we talk about emergency cold weather shelters, we’re talking about the difference between life and death. Hypothermia doesn’t care about someone’s circumstances or how they became unhoused. Winter storms don’t distinguish between the housed and unhoused.
What we’re building here is more than a shelter, it’s a demonstration of our community’s values. It’s a statement that says we don’t abandon our neighbors when they need us most, that’s not the La Porte County way. It’s proof that when we work together, we can create solutions that preserve human dignity and save lives.
How to Get Connected
This shelter exists because people like you decide that everyone deserves a safe place to sleep, regardless of their circumstances. If you’re feeling called to be part of this mission, we’d love to connect with you.
Follow our journey on social media:
Get in touch with us:
- Phone: (219) 276-7582
- Email: info@nestcommunityshelter.org (Please put NEST LAPORTE in the subject line.)
A Community That Shows Up
Last year once again demonstrated something powerful: when a community comes together with a shared mission to care for its most vulnerable members, extraordinary things happen. Not a single night went unused at Nest La Porte.
This year, we’re counting on that same spirit of community care. We’re counting on volunteers who show up consistently. We’re counting on faith communities and businesses that see feeding the hungry as a sacred calling. We’re counting on donors who understand that even basic supplies can make a profound difference.
Most importantly, we’re counting on people who believe that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, deserves safety, dignity, and and a warm place to sleep.
The doors open October 15th. Will you be part of making this year’s shelter another life-saving success?
