Our Daily Show Interview! O.W.L: Trivia Night, Volunteer Opportunities, and More!
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ALTON/EDWARDSVILLE - The Overnight Warming Locations will once again open to support unhoused community members through winter weather.
The OWLs are pop-up emergency shelters that activate whenever overnight temperatures drop below 20 degrees. The Alton OWL is located at Deliverance Temple in Alton and the Edwardsville OWL is housed at First Baptist Church in Edwardsville. There are several ways to support the OWLs, from volunteering to stopping by their first annual trivia night on Nov. 2, 2024.
“The problem’s not getting any better. We’re seeing more and more people just trying to survive the cold,” said Tyler Dreith, operations director. “We have the privilege of kicking on the thermostat and turning on the heat. It just makes you be mindful of our friends out there.”
Last year, Dreith said that between the two OWL locations, they saw 148 unique guests, including 45 people in one night in Alton. They are looking for volunteers, donations and financial support to provide OWL guests with meals, warm clothing and a place to sleep.
To raise these funds, the OWLs will be hosting their first trivia night at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at LaMay’s Catering in Alton. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own snacks and nonalcoholic drinks; alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase. It costs $200 for a table of eight, and there will be a silent auction as well. For more information about the trivia night, check out the official Facebook event page.
All proceeds go to the OWLs. The money raised helps the OWLs pay for facility upgrades, heating and the salary of their new part-time director, Lindsey Apple. Apple served as the Edwardsville City Lead last year, and Dreith said the OWLs are eager to have her take on this new role.
“It’s hard to do this,” Dreith said. “I’m just amazed that we’ve been able to do this the last five years without a director in place. It's just a lot of work…To be able to have a designated person to kind of keep things in line and do a lot of the admin work, a lot of the tedious stuff, is going to be very helpful for us.”
Dreith also said that more communities in Madison County have expressed an interest in operating their own OWLs. While nothing has been confirmed, he is hopeful. He noted there is serious need in Madison County, not just in Alton and Edwardsville.
“Sometimes people are like, ‘Well, why do we need an Overnight Warming Location in our community? We can just ship them to Edwardsville and Alton,’” Dreith said. “That’s not really a kind way to treat your neighbors…And then that becomes a drag on resources in a specific town like Alton. So let’s all work together.”
The OWLs will begin activating on Nov. 1, 2024, and continue through March. Dreith pointed out that the OWLs are a temporary solution to the bigger problem of homelessness in the region, and he hopes the community will come together to support the OWLs as they work to help unhoused community members.
“We’re an emergency shelter. We’re a bandaid service,” Dreith added. “There are bigger issues with housing, and ultimately we’re looking at different ways to provide better opportunities for people. We could provide them all the services that they want. What good is it if you don’t have a roof over your head? We’re still working on that.”
The OWLs are currently looking for volunteers to support them in their sixth season. For more information about how to volunteer or help out, visit the official Overnight Warming Locations Facebook page. They also have an Amazon wishlist or a donation link if you would like to contribute this way.
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