Lincoln Center
The Lincoln Center is Saint Cloud’s newest warming center facility, now serving those seeking refuge from the elements 24/7.
About Lincoln Center
(320) 342-2232
Lincoln Center
630 Lincoln Ave. S.E.
Saint Cloud, MN 56304
The Lincoln Center is a St. Cloud temporary shelter facility, and provides rooms for 23-24 residents who are seeking refuge from the elements and are pursuing permanent housing. It’s located at 630 Lincoln Avenue Southeast, Saint Cloud, Minnesota, 56304
The Lincoln Center is a project of Homeless Helping Homeless that is operated in conjunction with our volunteers, staff members, and supporters. Individuals experiencing homelessness are some of the most oppressed individuals within our society. The Lincoln Center was created to specifically act as a resource to those experiencing homelessness. It is a refuge for individuals, and a point of outreach and support for individuals. As a 501(3) nonprofit, Homeless Helping Homeless does our best to meet the needs of our community within our organization's means.
For our residents, we provide a supportive environment to help find a path forward. Our residents have access to a community snack bar featuring fresh water, hot coffee, and daily meals, as well as a comfortable space for entertainment and relaxation. To support their goals, we also provide essential resources like Wi-Fi and phones for contacting potential employers and housing opportunities. We also have housing navigators to help them find a more permanent situation, a visiting nurse, and a visiting social worker, and other support services for the various problems often afflicting our homeless population.
Education and Training: We have had several training sessions for staff and for volunteers, and even residents. We've been honored to have the lead psychiatrist from the VA hospital training our staff in suicide prevention. The staff of Terebinth has taught our staff how to recognize and address sex trafficking. We had the privilege of having the vocational school from Alexandria send five students from their police training program to spend 16 hours each with our residents. We have had trainings in the use of CPR, emergency medication to reverse life threatening opioid drug use, safe food service, and we now have an AED on site. We have ongoing opportunities and requirements for health and safety training that will benefit staff and residents alike such as de-escalation and listening skills.
Community/Resident participation and volunteering: Our volunteers and residents have been amazing. Students from Pierz have stopped by with flowers and gift bags, and conversed and prayed with our residents. A volunteer from Richmond spent hours involving our residents showing them how to lay tile. Those staying at the shelter are involved in producing ideas to make our community better. They've offered to join with East End businesses in working on their fall festival by offering to clean up garbage after the event. We play bingo together, and have poetry classes, Bible studies, art activities, and hand and nail spas. We welcome social activity volunteers and ideas. One man used the old pallets to carve them into beautiful chess pieces. Another designs and makes birdhouses from scrap lumber: another resident composed hymns and performed them at area events. A woman in our shelter, an expert calligrapher, made beautiful wall plaques for the center. Others engage in picking up organizing. cleaning, and assisting us with the chores it takes to maintain the shelter by doing laundry, mopping floors and keeping the lot clean. They offer to do this spontaneously. It's amazing to watch how a person can grow in their concern for others and the community once they're relieved of the stresses of living day to day outside.
We have entered into an agreement with Connectability of Minnesota to obtain wheelchairs (some motorized) and have secured several wheelchairs and walkers for the use of our residents. We started a program to provide eyeglasses for free to people with the help of America's Best, and Hearing Aids with an agreement with Miracle Ear.
The Garden: Wonder of wonders in recognizing and nurturing growth and caring for each other, we have a thriving community vegetable garden memorial flower garden on our lot for people to get outside, do some serious gardening, harvesting of healthy food, and spend some time enjoying the blooming plants.
Visiting Hours: Visitors are welcome during our posted visiting hours, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from
4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. During these times, visitors are welcome to join the residents they are visiting for a meal, coffee, and/or water. We encourage all visitors and guests to check in with staff.
We're located at 630 Lincoln Avenue Southeast, Saint Cloud, Minnesota, 56304. We're west of Highway 10. We sit along Metro Bus Route Six to the Transit Center, located south of the Eastern east side St. Cloud Cashwise Foods, Caribou, and Runnings. We sit north of the Lincoln Depot, and directly across the street from the First Fuel Bank. We’re right in between the East Side Oil Company and Town Square Media.
Services
Warming Center
Our facility functions as a 24/7 warming center to serve individuals currently experiencing homelessness along with other individuals in immediate need. We provide temporary refuge to individuals at risk during the harshest weather conditions. We work to serve all those who enter through our doors, be they locally-based or are simply passing through the area.
Emergency Refuge
We allow for other visitors seeking immediate respite from the elements into our center and work to ensure that no individual or family to be left out during times of weather extremes. In cases where we are over capacity we work to ensure placement into alternative shelters or finance stays within area hotels.
Resource Center
The Lincoln Center acts as a resource center for those experiencing homelessness or are otherwise at risk. We have computers, WiFi access, and many other supplies on-site to help those seeking refuge find the resources they need toward stability. Our staff will try their best to accommodate immediate needs as they are sought.
Emergency Refuge
Our guests and visitors have access to our 24/7 ‘snack bar’ throughout their time within Lincoln Center. Our staff and volunteers also work to ensure that there are several warm meals served throughout the day. Our staff and volunteers are also able to provide ‘street meal kits’ and other rations to those looking for a meal – and would otherwise be without.
How You
Can Help
Send Donations
Giving online has never been more secure, convenient or hassle-free with our one-click donation. We also do accept standard cash and check donations.
Become a Volunteer
You can get involved today by becoming a Volunteer. Sign up and you will be joining a group of change-makers, a network strong enough to impact positive change in the lives of people.
Give In-Kind Gifts
Your gifts will help individuals experiencing homelessness by allowing us to provide necessary resources. You can make a difference by helping fulfill either the needs of individuals or our organization.
Become A
Volunteer
With the aim of helping as many people as possible, we are always seeking enthusiastic volunteers to help empower our organization’s efforts. If you are willing to directly support those we serve please reach out to us.
Become A Volunteer