An Organization Bringing Hope to Milwaukee's Streets

The Street Angels mission is to bring hope to the Milwaukee area. They do street outreach three nights a week, every week, year-round; providing hot meals, a lunch for later, and survival supplies like tents, blankets, jackets, and hundreds and hundreds of socks. But that isn’t all. When they hand someone a hot meal, they're opening a door for them. They're there to learn their stories and help them take steps to end their homelessness. Never heavy-handed. Never bureaucratic. Their work is friend to friend. Every year, the Street Angels conduct an awareness and fundraising event called 48 Hours. Two co-executive directors, Shelly Sarasin and Eva Welch, and a small group of committed volunteers, make themselves homeless for 48 hours. This year, 48 Hours will be held October 24-26. During that time, the 48 Hours team will be on their own on the street, facing many of the same challenges as our friends – sleeping outside, finding safe places to be during the day, coping with hunger, and dealing with the kindness, or lack of kindness, of strangers. They are also implementing a peer-to-peer campaign for supporters to experience for themselves what it might be like by sleeping in their yard for a 24, or 48-hour challenge. We spoke to Eva and Shelly about the 48 Hour event and the importance their organization has in the Milwaukee Community. They have been challenged to raise $48,000 in 48-Hours! If you would like to donate or participate in the event visit www.streetangelsmke.org.