On a bright spring afternoon, a room full of blueprints, notepads, and hopeful anticipation buzzed with energy as Crosslines Community Outreach welcomed local contractors to a pre-bid open house —an exciting step forward in the journey to build a permanent home for Safe to Sleep, Springfield’s only emergency shelter for women.
Held as part of the organization’s Next Levell Capital Campaign, the event brought together construction professionals vying for the opportunity to partner on a project that is about so much more than bricks and mortar. It’s about safety, dignity, and belonging for some of our community’s most vulnerable women.
“This isn’t just a building—it’s a lifeline,” said Jaimie Trussell, CCO’s President and CEO. “And today is one of those days when you can see history in the making.”
Sealed bids are due May 15, and construction is set to begin later this month. The new facility will replace the current temporary overnight shelter with a dignified, dedicated space that offers not only safe sleep, but also case management, showers, storage, meals, and connection to critical services.
For over a decade, Safe to Sleep has served women who are often turned away from traditional shelters due to capacity limits, personal safety concerns, or the inability to meet specific program requirements. Last year alone, the program provided more than 5,000 nights of rest to women with nowhere else to go.
The new shelter will be located within CCO headquarters but with a separated entrance. In partnership with Paragon Architecture and R.E. Smith Construction, it has been designed specifically to meet the needs of the women it serves—many of whom are older, medically fragile, or survivors of domestic violence.
With more than 2.5 million dollars already raised or pledged toward this project, The Next Levell campaign continues to seek support to bring this vision to life. To learn more or to make a gift, visit ccozarks.org/NextLevell.