Earlier this week, we wrote about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, how we address every level of human need from basic survival to helping people reach their full potential. This weekend, that foundational layer isn’t a framework or a theory.
It’s literally life or death.
The Deadly Reality
As temperatures plunge to deadly lows across LaPorte County, the bottom of Maslow’s Hierarchy is physical survival, becoming the only thing that matters. Food, water, rest, and shelter aren’t steps on a journey; they’re the difference between waking up tomorrow morning and not waking up at all.
At Nest in Michigan City and LaPorte, this is one of the most basic things we do: we open our doors, we invite people in, and we get them into a situation where they’re comfortable and relaxed, out of the elements, and safe.
Safe. Out of the elements. Alive.
What Happens When the Doors Stay Open
This weekend, Nest Community Shelter will not close. Not in Michigan City. Not in La Porte.
Our teams are working to save lives, which means extended shifts and enhanced coordination to ensure that every single person who needs warmth has access to it. No one needs to die in the cold. Nest provides safety and warmth for those in need in our community.
Here’s what staying open means:
- Hot meals are served to those fighting to stay warm.
- Beds are available to sleep where it is warm.
- Staff and volunteers are working extended shifts to save lives.
- Coffee, blankets, and human connection for people who have nowhere else to go.
We’re not just keeping the lights on. We’re keeping people alive.
What Happens When There’s Nowhere to Go
Exposure doesn’t wait. Hypothermia doesn’t give warnings. Frostbite doesn’t check whether someone has “earned” help or is “trying hard enough.” When someone experiencing homelessness is housing insecure, they face impossible choices in this deadly cold:
- Sleep in a car with the engine running, risking carbon monoxide poisoning or running out of gas.
- Walk the streets all night to keep blood flowing, risking frostbite, and exhaustion.
- Huddle in a doorway or somewhere to block the howling wind, hoping to survive until morning.
These aren’t hypotheticals. These are the calculations people make when shelter isn’t available to them.
Not on Our Watch
Nest will always be there for those in our community in need. Our doors are open to those in need during this deadly cold. We provide safe, stable, and comforting care to those in need.
This weekend, those words mean everything.
Always going to be there means our Michigan City team is prepared for the long haul, no matter how many nights this cold snap lasts. Always going to be there means our La Porte location will keep its doors open continuously, serving as many people as we can safely accommodate during this extreme weather. Always going to be there means we’re pulling out extra beds, extra blankets, extra supplies. Always going to be there means our volunteers are showing up, even in dangerous cold, to make sure no one faces this alone or worse, dies out in the elements.
These Aren’t Just Statistics
The people we help aren’t statistics; they’re individuals who didn’t freeze to death, individuals who received a hot meal that provided energy to look for work, and rest that allowed bodies and minds to begin healing.
This weekend, let us be even more blunt: these aren’t just statistics. They’re lives saved. They’re neighbors who will see Monday morning because we didn’t close our doors.
Every person who walks through our doors this weekend is someone who won’t become a tragedy. Someone who won’t be found frozen. Someone who will survive to continue their journey up Maslow’s Hierarchy, toward safety, belonging, dignity, and eventually, their full potential.
But first, they have to survive the weekend.
How You Can Help Right Now
If you’d like to support Nest during this extreme cold, there are ways you can help today:
Donate immediately. Every dollar helps us:
- Keep the heat running 24/7
- Provide hot meals.
- Provide extra blankets, pillows, and beds.
- Support our staff working extended shifts.
Spread the Word: If you know someone who might need shelter this weekend, please share this information. We are OPEN. We will not close. We have warmth. We have help.
Volunteer: We need help with meals, supplies, and support. If you can safely travel and want to volunteer, please call us to see how you can help.
Corporate Partners: Step Up. This is the moment to show your commitment to our community. Emergency donations, supply drives, matching gifts, whatever you can do will directly save lives this weekend and beyond. If you’re not sure how to help, give us a call or send us an email, and we’ll be happy to sit down with you.
Meeting The Basic Needs and Beyond
Earlier this week, our Executive Director, Harrison Holtkamp, put our work simply, stating, “This is what our shelter does. This is the basic things that we do, we open our doors, and we invite people in, we get them into a situation where they’re comfortable and relaxed and out of the elements and safe.”
This weekend, those basic things are everything. Our doors are open. Our heat is on. Our team is ready. No one will freeze on our watch. But we can’t do this alone. Your support, your donation, your volunteer hours, your partnership, keep these doors open and keep our neighbors alive.
Because when it’s this cold, survival isn’t theoretical.
It’s the foundation of everything.
