White Stone Warriors Help Homeless In Waukesha

WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI—Bob Crouch was traveling for martial arts tournaments and conferences around various cities. He and his wife, Wendy, would encounter homeless people wherever they went and started giving water and other items to the people they met during their travels.

Once they returned to Wisconsin, they said they were led by religious spirit to serve hot meals and provide hygiene items to homeless people in Milwaukee and Waukesha.

They formed White Stone Warriors, a nonprofit charitable organization focused on helping the homeless.

WSW serves food at 101 Union St. by the river in the parking lot in Waukesha.

"Everyone kept saying we needed to do more, but I didn't have the time," he told Patch.

When the pandemic hit, Crouch was told he had to close his martial arts academy in Watertown for a few months. Crouch said with the extra time he was able to feed people every day.

"The Hope Center had closed down for two weeks [due to COVID-19], and all these guys were out on the street," Crouch said.

Crouch said his group was able to get a second van to do more outreach and bulk drops in the community, which he attributed to prayer. They also serve many pantries around the Milwaukee and Waukesha area.

The group also works with Just One More Ministry in Glendale, which does food redistribution. Whatever bulk items the group can't store, WSW takes it to people in need.

WSW handed out 200 boxes to La Casa de Esperanza's charter school and early education center on Wednesday. The boxes contained meats, produce, bread and dairy products, enough to provide several meals for a family.

Crouch relies on other volunteers to help deliver food and do other tasks. Normally he has more than 15 people, including cooks to help feed people.

Where Do The Homeless Go In the Winter?

Last summer, the group fed around 62 people daily in Waukesha, Crouch said.

"It [the increase] is for various reasons," he said. "They come out of jail and come right to our site, and everyone knows where we are now."

During the winter, the number the group fed decreased to around 10 a day. He said the "real hardcore people" who sleep on the street still come for food.

As the weather warms up, especially in April, the number of people will go up. "Right now they are sleeping on someone's porch, basement or garages for the winter. People will take pity on them," Crouch said.

Crouch added the homeless will be out full force in the summer. "There will be a whole new fresh batch of people," he said.

Inside The Community

Crouch feels that he has built a rapport with the homeless people he serves in the community and has come to know many of the people on the street.

Crouch said many of them tell him they don't expect to wake up the next day. One man is in intensive care after hitting his head after a fall while he was drinking, Crouch said. "We lost nine people last year due to being outside or overdose," he said.

Crouch's group provides meals so they have one more day to get healthy or find a way off the street.

But some of the people he has served got help and are no longer living on the streets, he said. "Through us being there and reinforcing we are there with them, some of these guys are getting off the street," he said.

To find out more about homeless resources or how you can help, visit www.Waukeshacounty.gov. To donate and learn more about White Stone Warriors, visit www.whitestonewarriors.com.