Bridge Street Mission Executive Director Craig Vincent speaks during the dedication of the Community Shelter. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A formal dedication was held for the new Community Shelter at the Bridge Street Mission on Thursday.
Police Chief Matthew Barnes says it’s a weight off his shoulders after a year of running the temporary Wausau and Marathon County Shelter out of the basement of First United Methodist Church. “I’m not in the unhoused business,” said Barnes. “That hasn’t been the focus of my career. There is no class you can take as a police officer on how to run a shelter or navigate resources for the unhoused population.”
But that was the place Barnes found himself in last spring. He credits others with helping him learn on the fly while preparing the temporary shelter and preparing a request for proposals for a permanent solution. “I really relied on Craig Vincent and others in the community who work in that area. They have been gracious, they shared their knowledge, and they mentored me,” said Barnes.
But now the department’s role will transition towards connecting those who are homeless with the resources offered at the shelter. “If you are going to tell someone they can’t be somewhere, and they ask ‘Where can I go?’ The answer can’t be ‘Well, I don’t know.’ So emphasizing the need for [shelter services] in this community was really important from a policing standpoint.”
RELATED: Wausau City Council Approves Contract With Bridge Street Mission for Shelter Services
Local public safety and community leaders, including Wausau Mayor Doug Diny, City Council President Terry Kilian, Barnes, and Captain of Investigations Ben Grahm, joined Executive Director Craig Vincent for the event. While the building is open and has its occupancy certificate, it’s not officially complete. Air Conditioning units were being installed during the event, and Vincent notes that some interior windows still need to be installed.
During the nearly year-long run for the Wausau and Marathon County shelter, which ended last weekend, Barnes says they saw about 400 unique guests. The new shelter has seen around 50 guests per night this week. Barnes says the goal is to get to a point where the need for the shelter is “functional zero,” which he says means homelessness is a brief, one-time event for those experiencing it.
“I don’t think the potential exists to close [the shelter.] But, as I look to the future for Wausau. People are going to become homeless in our community. We [want it to be] brief, be one time, and [we want them to be] cared for during the process.”
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