Community members gathered November 15, for A Night 2 Give Thanks, a heartfelt fundraiser benefiting Safe to Sleep, the region’s only low-barrier overnight shelter exclusively serving women. The event blended celebration with impact, featuring a lively silent auction, gourmet food by Simply Delicious, live entertainment and—most memorably—testimonies from three women whose lives have been transformed through the shelter’s support.
Guests enjoyed an elegant reception and a competitive silent auction before settling in for dinner accompanied by the soulful, crowd-pleasing music of local favorite Jason Whorlow, whose performance drew multiple requests! But the emotional pinnacle of the evening came when the stories of Betty, Melanie, and Peggy—three former Safe to Sleep guests—played on the screen.
Each woman shared her journey from crisis to stability, speaking candidly about the hardships that led them to Safe to Sleep and the community that helped them rebuild. In a moment that evoked both cheers and tears, the ladies revealed themselves as guests at the event. With clothing, hair and make-up provided by our friends at the local Dillards, the ladies were indistinguishable from the other guests. While the video showed their history, their presence shared their victory. Today, all three are thriving: gainfully employed, safely housed, and eager to give back.
“Safe to Sleep was there when I had nowhere else to go,” said Betty. “They didn’t just give me a bed—they gave me hope.”
The ladies’ stories underscored the vital need for emergency shelter options as Safe to Sleep prepares to move into its new permanent home at the Compassion Campus in 2026. Demand for emergency shelter beds continues to rise across southwest Missouri, making community support more critical than ever.
Throughout the night, attendees raised more than $150,000 to help bridge the remaining gap in the Next Levell Capital Campaign, which will build a modern, dignified shelter space designed to better serve women experiencing homelessness. Event organizers said early estimates indicate strong donor participation, with several new sponsors and sustaining donors committing to support Safe to Sleep’s mission, and only $825,000 remaining toward the four-million-dollar goal.
“A Night to Give is exactly that—a night where our community shows up in love, generosity, and solidarity,” said Jaimie Trussell, CEO of Crosslines Community Outreach. “The women we serve are strong, resilient, and deserving of safety and dignity. Tonight, we honored them—and we moved one step closer to ensuring every woman in crisis has a place to rest, recover, and rebuild.”
As guests departed, the atmosphere remained warm and hopeful—a testament to the power of community, compassion, and the life-changing impact of Safe to Sleep.