Sunday Focus With Christine Manika

Ways to Help The Sioux Falls Bishop Dudley Hospitality House Today

The Bishop Dudley Hospitality House is known to serve as a day and overnight shelter for those in need. Their mission is to serve others and help them get back on their feet. They are at capacity every single night. That's why they are embarking on a new journey and opening a new facility for families at 409 N. Western Avenue in Sioux Falls. Their goal is to have the new family location open by the start of school in 2024. Madeline Shields of BDHH joins the show to tell us about the project and how to donate. Visit bdhh.org for more information about the new building, volunteer opportunities, and how you can donate to the new project.

Duration:: 29m
Broadcast on:: 17 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

Hello and good morning. Welcome back to another edition of Sunday Focus. Many great organizations are here in the Sioux Empire. If you are new to town, but the Bishop Delvie House is known to serve as a day and overnight shelter for those in need. Their mission is to serve others and help them get back on their feet. They are at capacity nearly every single night, and that's why they are embarking on a new journey in opening a new facility for families at 409 Northwestern Avenue in Sioux Falls. It's officially opening up this summer, and now the Bishop Delvie Hospitality House needs your help continuing its mission. Mel and Chiot, the Executive Director for the Bishop Delvie Hospitality House, joins the show right now to tell us about the project, the biggest needs for the organization, and how to donate. Good morning, Madeline. Hello, good morning. Thanks for having me. Of course, it's always so great to have you back in the studio. It's like we pick up where we left off pretty much. Always, just like old friends. I know, exactly. Time never, it can be a long time, but then we just go right back to where we were. Absolutely, and there's so much to go over with the Bishop Delvie Hospitality House, but before we get into some new updates with the upcoming facility and the needs of the organization, let's talk about it itself. For anybody that's new in Sioux Falls, because yes, it's growing, believe it or not, tell us about the Bishop Delvie Hospitality House and how the organization started. Sure, so Bishop Dudley House is a temporary emergency homeless shelter. It's a day shelter and an overnight shelter. We serve the most vulnerable people who come to our doors. We are the only shelter who allows people in who are under the influence. And that was the sole purpose of opening the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. It was back in about 2013 that a woman passed away. She froze to death outside in a parking ramp across from City Hall. And so the mayor at the time contacted the Bishop of the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese and said, would you expand your mission? Because there was a day shelter drop in for homeless folks. Would you expand your mission to include an overnight shelter as well? And they met, and they said, of course, and the doors opened to the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House in January of 2015. It's a 100-bed temporary emergency homeless shelter. There's 20 beds for women and 80 beds for men. And then currently we have room for seven families. However, we are changing the family program, and we will talk about that in a little bit. But it is a lifesaver for folks who are on the streets who have no where else to go. Our day shelter is from 8 a.m. to 530 p.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year. And we have case managers. We have community health workers. We have client advocates who help folks who come into our doors. We have office space for outside agencies that come, and they can help our guests where they're at. Many of our guests don't have transportation, so they can't get to other agencies for help. So we partner with Southeastern Behavioral Health and with Veterans Services. And we have a gentleman that comes in, and he talks about the expanded Medicare and Medicaid programs for folks who are vulnerable and need that health care. And so we have some mentoring groups, and we work with the Goodwill Career Cruiser. They come and help folks fill out resumes and apply for jobs. And so we love to work with other agencies. We have about three dozen agencies that we work with. Wow. Every time I hear the origin story of the Bishop Delbie House, I feel like I'm hearing it for the first time always, because it's such an amazing and bittersweet story all at the same time about how you guys got your start. Yeah, you know, it's really sad. And her name was Irma. And she also went by Jackie. That was her nickname. And it was very tragic. She was a fantastic person. And that shouldn't happen to anyone. We have terrible weather in South Dakota. And it's not just freezing, blizzard conditions that can really be detrimental to people. It's also the heat and the humidity. People can pass away in that as well if they don't have proper shelter. Absolutely. As the city has been growing, how has the needs changed for the Bishop Delbie Hospitality House? Sure. We see so many people coming to our doors. And they're for every kind of need. Everybody's story is different. We have families that are in need. We have individuals. We serve people 18 and over in our shelter. And families must be pre-approved to come in, because they are in a congregate area. And so we can't have anyone sheltering in our family program that has any kind of aggression or violent past, domestic violence, or sexual assault, sex offender registry list. We need to make sure that we are a safe shelter and that everyone has a safe place to stay. And roughly, when you have people come into the Bishop Delbie House, how many people do you think you serve at night? Let me give you a couple of scenarios. Between winter, like blizzards, snow, ice, all that stuff, till a day like summer, spring, nicer day. Sure. So it's really weather dependent a lot of the time. And it's for so many different reasons. So we have 100 beds. We're always over 100. So we're always over capacity. It just depends. Every night can be different. The fire marshal has set our capacity at 155. We know that when a blizzard rolls in, it's going to be 20 below zero, and the wind chill is even 50 below. Yes, it's awful. Yeah, it's terrible. We're not going to turn people away. We cannot. This is life or death. We don't want anybody freezing to death. And so we've had nights where we've had 185 people, 190, 197. That's a mat on the floor. And when we run out of mats on the floor, then it's a blanket on the floor. But they're inside. And so it truly is a ministry that saves people's lives. There are other people that come in, and they are just passing through, and they just need a night or two. We have people whose loved one is in the hospital, and so they travel here to be with that person who might be hospitalized, and they don't have a place to stay. They don't have any money. And so they might just stop in and stay at the Bishop Dudley House for a couple of days. And then we have other people that, for all different kinds of reasons, we've had people who lost their place due to a fire. We've had people who've lost their place due to flooding. And so they'll come to the Bishop Dudley House. And for so many people, it's pride that they will do anything else before they'll walk through our doors. But once they get the courage to come through our doors, they realized, why didn't I do this sooner? We have a family that moved in that was staying in their car for three weeks. Wow. Mom was pregnant, and they had three little children under five. And Dad lost his job because he was afraid of leaving Mom and the children in the car alone. And so it just really-- everything unraveled for them. They had exhausted all of their resources, their savings, and everything. And finally, they decided we need to go check this place out. Well, they couldn't be happier within two days. The Dad had a job, and it was work in full time again. And it's always in your mind that it's more fearful than what it really is. And people need to understand that we are here to help folks. And we will try to make it the best experience that they can have. It's much better than staying in a place that's unsafe. That is not conducive for children or for adults. And a car is never a good place because of there could become a victim of crime. Absolutely. If you were just listening, we are being joined in the studio right now with Madeleine Shields. She is the executive director of the Bishop Deli Hospital, the house. And speaking about jobs, not many people know, especially folks who are new in town, that the Bishop Deli Hospital Deli House does help people start a new life, and that includes finding a job. Yes. Yes. We have men's shelter manager, and they work with all of our guests. So when someone checks into the Bishop Dudley House, they are met with a case worker, case manager, and their intake is done. And then they're assigned a community health worker, or the women's case manager, or the men's shelter case manager. And they have a few days to get settled, and then let's start figuring out where you're at in your life. What led to your homelessness? What can we do to make this better? What kind of skills do you have? Where can we get you a job and quickly? And then let's get you back on your feet. And it's really challenging because there's not a lot of affordable housing here. And then people have felons sometimes, and that can be really a barrier to getting a place to live. But there are some felon-friendly places. It could be-- there are so many people we encountered that this is really old. It might be 10 or 12 years old, this felon, and it might be a drug-related thing, and they're completely sober, and they've turned their life around. And now they've become homeless for whatever reason. So now they're starting from scratch, and it really can be difficult. And so we understand that, and that's why we have some mentors there that come and help as well. And we are just there to catch people. This is a safety net for so many people. And for many, it's just a pause. Really, it might be two weeks, three weeks, a month, and they're like, I'm out of here, I'm done, I've got a job. This was great, I needed it, and they're so very grateful just to have that time to regroup. And that's really what we offer to a lot of people. About 60% of our guests work. And so they work day labor, they might work part-time or full-time. A lot of our guests work at the premier center. They do the events, they do security, they do the cleanup afterwards. And so we make sure that we can help them. We connect them with a center of hope that can provide them with a bicycle. They'll do 10 hours of community service, and then they get that bicycle for free. That is huge. That is a mode of transportation that will get them to and from work. It's the reason why the Bishop W. Hospitality House's mission is still continuing, and it is going to continue with a new property for you guys. It's going to be opening up soon, and it's exciting for you guys and also bittersweet. So this new location, specifically for families, why don't you tell us more about this great development? Sure, so right now we currently house families at the Bishop Dudley House at 101 North Indiana Avenue. And we've always known that that is not the most ideal place for families is with individuals who are homeless. But it's the best that we could do. And so fast forward, we started looking for different properties to house our families in, and we just couldn't find anything. We couldn't, it was impossible to find a fourplex or a motel rooms or anything. They were being purchased by other property managers who are renting them out, which is also a need in this community. We were approached by Interlakes Community Action Partnerships. They're headquartered out of Madison, and they're a nonprofit that has been around for many, many years. And they have an office here in Sioux Falls. They provide transitional housing, as well as Head Start and Early Childhood for Children. And they help senior citizens and families with housing in 14 counties in South Dakota. So they're very established. They purchase the former children's inn when they moved from that corner on Northwestern Avenue, and because they needed it for office space. So they approached us at Bishop Dudley House and asked if we would take over the shelter space. And so they had the whole building remodeled, and they turned the many rooms that they had at the former children's inn building into a 10-unit family shelter. - Oh, wow, yeah. - And so that is what we will be taking over here shortly. Hopefully we will have them all moved in by the time school starts. And we're really excited about this partnership. It is a little bit of a lift for Bishop Dudley House to take on a second location, but it is necessary, and it's the right thing to do for families. - What gets you excited about this new opportunity and new property for the Bishop Dudley Hospitale House? - I think what I'm most excited about is to see that this shelter will allow these families to really work on what is necessary to get back on their feet. There won't be as many people around. There won't be any distractions, and it'll be staff and the guests working together. We are looking for mentors to come in and help these families, and the space. The space is going to be the best part of it. There's a cafeteria there. So we have space for our families to eat, which is very difficult now because we have the families eating on the women's side of the shelter, and it's just very crowded. Now the families will have space in the cafeteria. There's a family gathering area. They will have their own unit that they can be in. There's a children's play area that's indoors, and there's a children's playground outdoors, and it's all secure. And we have a homework lab, computer lab, which will allow outside volunteers to come in and help the moms and dads with their resumes apply for work, and it's a homework room as well. So any teachers out there or anyone who wants to help kids get their homework done and work with them, we have this beautiful computer lab that was sponsored by Marketbeat. And so we are super excited about getting that up and running, and so it's gonna be really a space that will help people be successful in a really short time. - You mentioned some partnerships already. What are some other partners behind this new facility for you? - Sure, well, definitely iCap. They have, they have, you know, they provided the space with the building, and they've remodeled it for us. We are super excited about, we've had many families that have sponsored rooms. We had Waterbury, who has sponsored the playground, and we are super excited about all of these partnerships. And if you want a tour, we give tours all the time. The building is still, it's almost complete. We're working on it, and we have to get it furnished yet. So we have lots of opportunities for folks to come and walk through. If you haven't had a chance, we've had many banks that have donated to help us get this facility up and running. We have currently a campaign, it's called Open Doors, Open Arms, fulfilling our mission into the future. And so that is a campaign that is helping with the Center for Families and Bishop Dudley House to sustain this ministry, because what is happening at both locations is life changing. It is improving people's lives, it is saving lives, and I just talked to a mom, she's getting her apartment, and she said, "You guys have helped me so much." Words can't even express how grateful I am for everything that you guys have done for me and my babies. She has a one-year-old and a four-month-old. And it's just incredible to see her success, and she's been there a few months. This changes lives. She's getting a place, she has a job, she has her children, and she could not be in a better location and a better place than she has been in a really long time. You're talking about life-changing moments and just a lot of change going on with the Bishop Dudley Hospitali House with this new facility. Is this a good change for you guys? It is a good change, it's a good change with the families. We've known all along that we wanted to help families. You know, recent statistics showed that 770 families registered in the Sioux Falls public school system identify as homeless. 1,400 children that go to school right here in Sioux Falls are homeless. And you know, 10 family rooms, that's barely even a dent in that. But we have to do it. If we can help 10 families and then another 10 families and another 10 families, if we can do 40 or 50 or 60 families a year, that is changing the trajectory of their life. And if we can end that cycle of poverty, imagine what their children will be capable of. That's where it lies, is not just right now, but in the future generations. - Absolutely, changing the Sioux Falls community for the better indeed, there. If you were just listening, metal and shields, what the Bishop Deli Hospitality House is in the studio with us for a little bit longer here. Now, there's are a lot of opportunities to volunteer with the Bishop Deli Hospitality House and different ways to get involved. Before we talk about the volunteer opportunities, you do have a list of needs that you do need from the community right now. - Sure, we always need help. And if you wanna help us, we can always use hygiene items. We need toilet paper. I mean, my goodness, we have 20,000 showers a year. Our water bill is incredible. - Wow. - It's terrible. And so, there's everything that we have in our home is needed at the Bishop Dudley House and will be needed at the Center for Families. The soap, the shampoo, the conditioner, the lotion, the toothbrushes and toothpaste, feminine hygiene products. We use all of those items. So any of those items can be dropped off, coffee. Coffee is huge. You know, when you're homeless, even when you're not homeless and it's cold out or even if it's raining or even when it's hot out, there's people they love to have a cup of coffee. And when you are welcoming someone in, which is what we do at the Bishop Dudley House, is come in, come into the day room and have a cup of coffee. That's the first thing. And you know what? That shows dignity, it shows respect and compassion for someone. That simple gesture is everything. Let's come in, can I offer you a cup of coffee? And it makes a huge difference. We have an Amazon wish list on our website. And I think coffee is one of those things that's right up there on that list. Or if you're out shopping and you want to drop off a can of coffee, that would be fantastic because we will use it. And then razors, shaving cream, dental floss, all those kinds of things are always needed. And then we need volunteers as well. You know, there are so many things that we are looking for people to help. You know, I was figuring out, 'cause it's budget season. It costs about $1.19 a day to serve a lunch at the Bishop Dudley House. - Oh, wow. - So for $1.19, you are providing like a hot, delicious meal to one guest. We serve lunch seven days a week. We always need help. And so those lunches run anywhere between $200 and $250 per day. And so if anybody wants to come and sponsor a lunch, you know, I always talk to people, you know, you're out golfing in the summertime. You have your golf buddies that you golf with. Well, you don't see them all winter, right? - Yeah. - Get together and come and serve a lunch at the Bishop Dudley House. Come once a month during the winter. You're spending that much money golfing or playing volleyball or playing softball. Get your group together and come and serve a lunch. When we open our new center for families, we're gonna be serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner there. - Oh, wow. - So we're gonna need help with that as well. So it doesn't take more than three or four people to help us out, you know? Get your group together and we can accommodate as many people as you wanna bring 'cause we have lots of things we can put you to work doing at either place. And so, you know, give back that way. And I always tell people, yes, you are helping our guests. You are helping your fellow citizens in this community, but you're really giving yourself a gift because when you walk in and you get that thank you and you get that smile and you see those children that you are serving this meal to, imagine how you feel when you're done doing that. That's what we want to make sure people remember. Give yourself a gift and go give a little bit of time to help somebody out and it will make your whole day. - I think you can agree with me when I say that the Bishop Deli Hospitality House is all about helping people who need it the most. They are their voice and their strength, their hope during this entire process. And now being a part of the Bishop Deli's mission for years now and also you working with the banquet before that, what is it like to see both of these organizations thrive and transform the Sioux empire together? - It's amazing. You know, I was a journalist. I went to school, I worked in news for 15 years or more and I took this opportunity way back in the early 2000s to work at the banquet and that it changed my life. It changed my life because it really opened to my eyes to see that people who needed a meal or needed a place to stay, they're no different than we are. We all eat, we all, we all need to sleep, right? - Sometimes we need to sleep out of it. - Depending on the night. - There's never enough sleep, that's for sure. But what I really learned in a really short time is that we are so more alike than we are different because we all, no matter what socioeconomic group we belong to, we all want the same things in life. We wanna be healthy, we wanna be happy. We want the best for our children. We want them to go to a good school. We want them to be safe and we want them to have the things that we want them to be able to achieve. And we're no different and I have met so many fabulous friends who sat across the table with me to eat a meal or to have a cup of coffee that they're my friends. You know what? They might not have a home to live in, they might not have a car, but they're no different than me. They are no different than you or I or anyone. And so to find out their backgrounds, it's incredible. So many have served in the military, have college degrees, some have their master's degree. Something happened along the road that did not happen to me that just set them on a different path. And it's just a path. It's just a path that's a fork in the road and they'll get back to where they need to be where they want to be. But everybody deserves to be happy and not everybody starts off with the same good fortune that I got, you know? And so just be kind, really. When you look at people and be kind to them, you will see that, you know, we just, we share so much more in common than differences. - Yeah, I agree. Highly agree with that. It's Madeline Shields with the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. And before we let you go really quick, you have Taste the Goodness coming up later on this summer. And that's one of your biggest events too. - We do and it's in conjunction with the Catholic Community Foundation. They put this huge celebration on for the Bishop Dudley House. It's called Taste the Goodness. It's Saturday, August 3rd. It's a downtown tasting event. So it's a food, it's a beer, it's wine, it's craft beer, it's wine, it's bourbon. There are games, there's music, there's entertainment. You can't go wrong. If you buy the tickets in advance, they're $49 and you can contact them through the website at the Catholic Community Foundation of Eastern South Dakota. It's $55 at the door. The rain was torrential last year. Like you could have gotten a kayak and just swam around in the parking lot and kayaked around. We never had more people show up at an outdoor event than we did last year. - Wow. - Because everything else got canceled and we had tents. So it was fantastic. So yeah, come this year, it's a great cause, great food, one price under the stars and the tents. Get your friends and come and check out those ticket prices at the Catholic Community Foundation of Eastern South Dakota. - Awesome, anything else you'd like to add, Madeline? - Yeah, actually check out our website, B-D-H-H.org. Everything will still go through the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. Even when we open the Center for Families, our mail will still all come to that Bishop Dudley House at 101 North Indiana Avenue. Center for Families is a second location. However, the administration is mostly gonna still run from the Bishop Dudley House. We need volunteers. We're looking for staff right now. Go to any of your favorite job site locations and look for jobs at Bishop Dudley House because you can't go wrong working with families. We need those mentors. We need people who can come and answer the phones, help us prepare lunch, work with the families, help them make some phone calls, help them fill out some job applications. Just be there and we need volunteers. Couple hours a week, get on a schedule. We can use lots of volunteers and it's a great opportunity. - Absolutely, a little can go a long way, Madeline Shields. Thanks so much for joining us here again and always good to talk to you. - Thank you. You