Chippewa Valley Street Journal January 25, 2026

On our visit to the street on 01-22-2026, we watched the wind blow snow off buildings and the ground in wispy currents. The sky was clear with a crescent moon up high.  We didn't serve a great number of people, but those we saw were grateful for the items they received, whether it was food, gloves, boots, or a combination of things. Most of our guests came with face masks on or their hoods pulled tight — there were several people that were so covered up that we couldn't identify them. As they departed to go and wait in line for the shelter to open, most wished us well and offered gratitude. One person expressed a desire to try to rough it outdoors as he does not like staying at the shelter. We strongly recommended him to seek safety in the shelter for the night for safety reasons: he could have been injured or worse if he had attempted to stay out all night.

The morning after we served was colder than the evening when we were out. We are grateful that our guests have a place to go during the day and to be safe. There are people who choose to be elsewhere, and we try to provide items to keep them as safe as possible. The threats of hypothermia and frostbite are very real at these temperatures. We hope that everyone is safe.