Gov. Tony Evers with constituents | Facebook
Gov. Tony Evers with constituents | Facebook
Pearl Webster, a nurse who has organized a homeless shelter on the Oneida Reservation near Green Bay, has worked for approximately 45 years as a nurse.
Gov. Tony Evers tweeted in support of the "Safe Shelter" initiative.
"As a nurse, Pearl saw the need for a homeless shelter in her community firsthand. Now, thanks to her tireless efforts and support from the @OneidaNationWI and the CARES Act, her vision is becoming a reality. Thanks, Pearl, for your life-saving work," Evers tweeted.
When she was working for the Oneida Nation Community Health Department, she noticed a homelessness crisis. She began working on plans for a homeless shelter in 2014, and the project gained momentum in 2018 with the support of a maternal elder-led nonprofit on the reservation called Wise Women Gathering Place. However, when the pandemic hit, plans came to a halt until federal aid from the CARES Act came in, and Oneida officials were able to allocate $800,000 to renovate a tribally-owned building to use for the shelter.
"Many individuals would share stories with me about surfing couch to couch or living on the streets and not having a place to call home. Some would sleep in their cars and talk about how they would get to the fitness center early so they can take a shower," Webster said.
Forty-five out of every 10,000 Native Americans experience homelessness. In 2020, there were almost 19,000 homeless Native Americans.
Alerts Sign-up