The Warming Shelter

06/17/2026

Building foundations leads to long term success.

Physiological Needs (Save Lives)

Before anything else, people need warmth, food, water, and rest.
When someone enters our shelter, they’re often exhausted, hungry, and overwhelmed.

Meeting these needs isn’t “step one” it’s life‑saving.

Once someone feels physically safe and cared for, their mind and body can finally breathe again.

06/17/2026

🙏💯

Everyone loves the quote:
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

And I agree with that. We should absolutely be teaching people to fish, skills, jobs, responsibility, stability, independence.

But Maslow’s hierarchy of needs reminds us of something important:

You can’t learn to fish if you’re hungry. You can’t focus on a job if you don’t know where you’re sleeping. You can’t plan a future if you’re just trying to survive today.

Meeting immediate needs and teaching long-term skills aren’t competing ideas. They actually have to happen in that order.

06/16/2026

This week’s Staff Spotlight shines on Travis Blackman, who joined The Warming Shelter on July 21, 2023. Travis serves as our Warehouse Operations Lead, Volunteer Coordinator, and Grant Writer — and he pours his heart into every role he holds.

Travis works tirelessly behind the scenes writing grants, coordinating volunteers, and keeping our warehouse running smoothly. He is loyal, dependable, and a true example of rebuilding from the ground up. Most importantly, Travis cares deeply about the clients we serve and shows up every day with compassion and purpose.

We are grateful for everything he brings to our team and our mission.

06/16/2026

Why Foundations Matter

At The Warming Shelter, we believe every person deserves the chance to rebuild their life, and that starts with meeting basic needs FIRST.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs teaches us something simple but powerful:
People cannot focus on healing, growth, or long‑term goals until their lower‑level needs like safety, food, and rest are met.

Our service model is built on this truth. We start by stabilizing the foundation so individuals can rise toward their full potential.

Follow along with us this week as we dig a little deeper into what it means to build these foundations and why it is vital for those experiencing homelessness.

06/09/2026

We want to take a moment to give a special shout‑out to two incredibly important people — our board members, Andrea Rohlena and Carrie Pottebaum.

These two spent a large part of their day helping set up for our Open House and supporting us throughout the gathering. Andrea and Carrie are truly some of the kindest people you could meet. They show up with heart, they support our mission fully, and they genuinely love The Warming Shelter and the people we serve.

We are so grateful to have them on our Board of Directors. Their dedication makes a real difference, and we appreciate them more than they know.

06/09/2026

Yesterday was such an amazing day for The Warming Shelter. We had such an amazing turn out. Siouxland DOES stand with The Warming Shelter. On behalf of all of the staff and clients I would like to say thank you so much! It warmed all of our hearts to see the amount of support and love that the community has for our organization.

If you are interested in purchasing a t-shirt, please keep checking on The Warming Shelters page for when we restock!

Thank you a million times Siouxland, our board members, staff, Molina Healthcare, Veg Out LLC, and Nothing Bundt Cakes

06/09/2026

We had the pleasure of VEG Veg Out LLC to come to The Warming Shelter yesterday during our open house!

Your presence brought so much warmth to the day, and the care you showed our guests did not go unnoticed. Moments like these remind us how powerful it is when local partners step up to support our community.

Our guests felt valued, welcomed, and cared for — and that’s because of you.

We are truly grateful for your generosity and your willingness to stand with The Warming Shelter.

Thank you, Veg Out, for making yesterday so special.

06/09/2026

We want to give a HUGE thank you to Nothing Bundt Cakes , Iowa for their incredibly generous donation of Bundt cakes!

They were absolutely delicious, and everyone truly enjoyed them. Your kindness did not go unnoticed—We were so appreciative, and it made a special impact on all of us!

Thank you for supporting our community and for sharing such amazing treats. You helped make our day extra sweet!

06/08/2026

We just want to take the time to thank everyone who showed up and supported The Warming Shelter. Today showed the true support Siouxland has for The Warming Shelter. More pictures of the full day to come later.