A couple of weeks ago, a young mother with a 9-month-old walked into First United Methodist Church in Downtown Madison.
She was homeless and had stayed the prior two nights at the Salvation Army shelter. But on this night, the shelter was full and she had no place to go.
It was a familiar scenario, one that underscored the importance of what the church was working toward, said Karen Andro, the church’s director of outreach ministries. Beginning Monday, First United Methodist will serve as an overflow shelter five nights a week for homeless families.