(Riverton, WY) – The Riverton Rescue Mission has released the results of the study it commissioned earlier this year to assess the feasibility of opening a shelter for the unhoused in town.
The study showed that the project “is not feasible at this time,” the RRM said this week, citing a “lack of funding within the community and other capital campaigns happening within the community.”
“We continue the discussions within the group of next steps based on the results,” the RRM said. “We are going to continue to quietly brainstorm as a group to move forward.”
Warming huts
For now, the RRM said, with winter approaching, “we hope to continue to transport (unsheltered) folks out to the warming shelter if we can get adequate drivers who are committed to helping.”
Last year, the RRM said “up to 50 men per night (made) their way to the warming hut,” including “many” who “had to join a waiting list in order to get a cot.”
In addition, the RRM said there were “39 women and children on the waiting list with nowhere to turn for a warm bed to sleep in.”
“Up to 89 unhoused people are living in Fremont County, but the nearest shelter is two hours away in Casper,” they said. “There simply are not enough beds in Riverton to keep everyone safe.”
To address the issue, the RRM had proposed purchasing and renovating a building to serve as a shelter, with separate wings for men, women and children, according to the feasibility report.
The proposed shelter included sleeping space for up to 50 people, plus a common kitchen, the report states, and it offered a “discipleship substance abuse program to aid recovery with wrap-around services for one year,” with eventual plans to establish a “sober living community.”
“The prospectus estimated $2.5 million will be required,” the report states – and “there is a formula that will lead to success” for the project if the RRM is “willing to make the investment in the time and resources needed.”
Feasibility
The feasibility report showed that the local residents surveyed for the study “universally agree that homelessness is a current problem for Riverton, (and) the situation has gotten worse over the past five years.”
“This and several other factors bode well for achieving the desired goals of the capital campaign,” the report states.
For example, the report says “when study participants were asked where they rank RRM in their giving priorities, of the 43 that answered, 37 participants indicated RRM will be a top philanthropic priority once it’s open and operating.”
One potential donor indicated they might give up to $150,000 to the effort over the next three years, the study states, while two anticipated giving up to $50,000, one thought they might give up to $25,000, three anticipated giving up to $10,000, 11 indicated they might give up to $5,000 and 17 said they would give up to $1,000.
Participants also identified 15 potential major donors in the community, the report notes, recommending that the RRM move forward with a capital campaign with the goal of raising $1.5 million over the next three years to purchase a building and begin renovations.
“The study showed participants support implementing RRM’s plan as proposed and are eager to see shelter doors open,” the report states. “Participants clearly indicated that a rescue mission is needed in the Riverton area, sharing that residents continue to witness individuals dying from (exposure). They are encouraged by the hope of having an answer to homelessness, and community members are ready to step up and end the cycle.”
Challenges
The study also listed several challenges the RRM faces, including a lack of funding and a low number of current “leadership level” donors.
The report recommended hiring an employee to manage the RRM capital campaign and utilizing software to track donor details, noting that “RRMs’ board and volunteer staff do not currently have the experience to effectively and efficiently manage the type of fundraising program needed to accomplish (their) goals for the future.”
Another “challenging factor” listed was “existing competition from other major fundraising campaigns in the area,” including the Boys and Girls Club and the Riverton Medical District.
The report also said RRM leadership and the City of Riverton “are not working in unison” with Tribal officials “to support peoples’ needs.”
“We encourage RRM to seek pathways toward a combined effort which will be much more effective in helping those in need than each group working alone,” the report states.
Click here to read the entire report.