The DJ Takeover sponsored by Level Up is a program for listeners to discover their favorite artist's favorite artists, working to foster connection to the music and makers inside and outside our city. For the entire hour, we go down the rabbit hole of stories from their past, experiences of the present and goals for the future.
This week in Milwaukee, we face an extreme-cold warning with lows forecast to be -15 degrees paired with windchills of -40 degrees. It's hard to imagine not staying inside, cozied up on the couch under a blanket.
But what if you didn’t have a proper shelter to protect you from the cold? No couch. No heat. No blanket.
As temperatures continue to plunge during the brutal Wisconsin winter, the concern for individuals experiencing homelessness is impossible to turn away from. For this DJ Takeover, I was proud to welcome two people who haven’t turned away: Street Angels co-founders Shelly Sarasin and Eva Welch.
The pair joined me to explain how Street Angels works to bring immediate relief to unhoused people and advocate for long-term housing solutions to end homelessness. Their programs include boots-on-the-ground Mobile Outreach, Showers of Hope and the Pathways Assistance Program.
Sarasin and Welch hope for a future where Street Angels is no longer needed. For now, their advice is simple: Be humble, be kind, be a friend. Get to know someone for who they are rather than their circumstance.
You can hear our full conversation using the player at the top of the page.
Interview highlights
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
On founding Street Angels:
Eva: Street Angels was never founded to be a nonprofit organization. It really started as just people helping people. Shelly and I both met while we were very new to volunteering, in the homeless services field, while at a warming shelter. At the end of that warming shelter, we felt that there was more that we could do, even if that looked like cooking spaghetti dinner in my kitchen and delivering out of the back of Shelly’s car.
Shelly: And that was 11 winters ago, when warming rooms really didn’t exist in Milwaukee and at a time when they were only open when it was 10 degrees or below. So could you imagine? I mean, our doors were shut when it was 10. Um, so when it was 11, we’re like, “We have to do something.”
On barriers in Milwaukee for the health and wellness of unhoused individuals:
Shelly: The reason that Street Angels exist is because there isn’t a single shelter in Milwaukee that someone can just walk into and say, “I need a bed.” There was a whole process, and we were naive to that when we first started Street Angels. So learning what we’ve learned and getting rid of some of those barriers, now warming rooms are open seven nights a week, regardless of temperature. We’ve been able to change a lot of that for the friends that we’re serving.
Carolann: When you say that you’ve been able to change a lot of that, how did that shift?
Shelly: It took us standing downtown with cardboard signs saying, “Milwaukee, our friends deserve a right to shelter,” and our voices were heard by some of our electeds. They passed resolutions, like “Code Blue” in Milwaukee that makes warming rooms open when it's 32 degrees or below.
Eva: A lot of what we do is simply rallying the community. Both of us spent the majority of our lives in Milwaukee and were shocked to find out that people were forced to sleep under the bridges that we were driving over every single day. We just assumed that if you’re homeless, you go to a shelter, right? Unfortunately, for capacity reasons … shelters are actually difficult to come by.
On trust and the friendship philosophy:
Carolann: What is the best immediate response to an individual experiencing homelessness who asks for help?
Shelly: The biggest thing you can do is talk to somebody and ask them, “How can I help you?” And being a friend and being kind. Once you build that rapport with people, they’re more willing to open up. From there, you can learn what they need. It may not be shelter that day; it may be a meal or a smile. But building that rapport, reaching out to organizations such as Street Angels that could offer some assistance.
Eva: When it comes to giving, monetarily or items, I think that’s a personal choice. We are often asked, “What do you do if somebody is panhandling and they ask you for money?” Back to our “Friends First” philosophy. We always say, “The biggest thing you can do is just let people know that they are seen, they’re supported and they’re welcomed.”
We often tell people to, as a way in, just ask them if they’re familiar with Street Angels. If they are connected with us, they’re going to almost immediately look at you as a friend because everyone who serves with Street Angels is a friend. If they’re not connected, that’s a great way to try to get them connected. That can be as simple as sending us an email or giving us a phone call and letting us know where you consistently see this individual.
Of course, asking them if that’s what they want first. [Someone] who may not have a phone, who may not have transportation, who may not know the city well enough to get to where you're telling them to go, that’s a really important reason why we’re serving people where they are — to remove those barriers, especially when it comes to things like lifesaving resources.
If you see someone in need, ask for their permission to reach out to Street Angels. If you’re currently experiencing unsheltered homelessness and would like to connect with Street Angels’ outreach team, call or text them at (414) 374-1971. For donations, volunteer information and hours, call their office line at (414) 930-0028.
Call 2-1-1 to get the most up-to-date information on:
- Open warming shelter locations
- Hours of operation
- Transportation options
- Eligibility or check-in guidance
DJ Takeover: Street Angels playlist
- Arrested Development, “Mr. Wendal”
- Brad Paisley, “Stubborn Angels”
- James Taylor, “Shower the People”
- John Lennon, “Imagine”
- Bill Withers, “Lean on Me”
- Zak Abel, “Be Kind”
- Craig Morgan, “Almost Home”
- Tim McGraw, “Humble and Kind”
