The Wheeler Mission women’s shelter in Bloomington is closing next month due to lack of money.
Mission Executive VP Steve Kerr says the decision to close the women and children’s facility was a tough one — but logical, because Wheeler finds many more men than women experiencing homelessness in Bloomington.
“Just because the demand was so much greater for men, that’s the program we decided we had to keep," he says.
Kerr says the number of men seeking assistance increased by 250% in 2015, when Wheeler merged with Backstreet Missions. Now, he says, Wheeler Bloomington serves about 100 men per day and between 20 and 30 women.
Although Wheeler has locations in both Bloomington and Indianapolis, Kerr says local donations stay local, and the women’s center in Bloomington ultimately wasn’t able to keep up with fundraising.
Kerr says he hopes the closure, effective July 5, is just temporary.
And he says local women and children who are in need of other services besides shelter can still access Wheeler resources at the men’s center.
Wheeler Mission's Center for Women & Children in Bloomington is located at 400 S. Opportunity Ln. The men's shelter is at 215 S Westplex Ave.
