Sapulpa’s emergency shelter at the Senior Citizens Center (515 E Dewey Ave) is still going strong and offering relief from the single-digit temperatures that Sapulpa has been experiencing since Saturday.
When Shoulder 2 Shoulder Ministries’ Levi Bradley heard about the coming sub-freezing weather scheduled to hit the Sapulpa area over the weekend, he knew what he needed to do, and began making preparations.
The original plan was to set up their temporary shelter in the Elks Lodge, as they had done when a similar weather pattern hit the area in 2021. This time though, things took a positive turn when the City of Sapulpa got involved and decided to lend the ministry their Senior Citizens Center for use as an emergency shelter.
Bradley says the change has been a good one. “We’re so appreciative of the City for stepping up like that,” he said. “It’s been a big help.”
So far, the shelter has seen 18 people, and Bradley says they’re not at capacity. “We’re available for anyone who just wants to get in out of the cold and come warm up,” he said.
Although the homeless have made up some of the shelter’s residents, Bradley says they haven’t been the only ones using the facility. “We have one family who came from a trailer park. They don’t have heat, and they needed a place to go,” he said.
The community has stepped in to provide additional help, whether through donations of food and clothing or volunteering to work a shift to keep an eye on things.
Metal’s Better Roofing provided elk chili to the guests on Monday when temperatures were still below ten degrees. Within a few minutes, nearly all the residents were sitting at tables with bowls of steaming hot chili and cheese.
“I talked to (the owner of Metal’s Better) Pat on the phone, and he said, ‘I think we’re gonna take this chili to Tulsa,’ and I said that ‘bro, you have a place right here in Sapulpa that could use that,'” said Jonathan Dupee, owner of Freedom Electrical Services. Both companies came to bring chili and spend time at the shelter before leaving to head back to work.
Bradley says they’re covered on donations for the most part but could use one or two more volunteers to help watch the facility. They plan to be open until Wednesday, January 17th at noon. Visit the Shoulder 2 Shoulder Facebook Page for more information or call 918-861-6120
