Latest Fond du Lac Pastor Takes to Roof to Raise $200,000 for Warming Shelter

Two hundred thousand dollars, one roof, and a Wisconsin winter already at the door. Holy Family Catholic Community Pastor Ryan Pruess plans to stay on the roof of the Holy Family Warming Shelter from 18 November until the $200,000 fundraising goal is reached, to cover the shelter's operating costs for the season, the Fond du Lac Reporter reports. The shelter itself opened for the winter on 1 November, and it can take in as many as 34 single adults a night.

The fundraiser is called Reverend on the Roof, and it will begin at 10 in the morning at the shelter, 73 East First Street in Fond du Lac, according to a community announcement reported by the Fond du Lac Reporter. The Agnesian HealthCare Foundation has already contributed $50,000 toward the goal, the Reporter says. This time, Pruess is expected to remain on the roof until the full $200,000 is reached, and no end date has been announced.

"No one wants to stay outside in the snow, rain or freezing temperatures," Pruess said. "To be on the roof for a few hours in whatever the weather throws my way is a small sacrifice to make when our brothers and sisters who don't have shelter have to endure it every day."

"When you donate to Reverend on the Roof," he said, "you can know that every dollar will go towards ensuring that our neighbors will have a place of warmth and refuge to stay this winter out of the elements."

Holy Family Warming Shelter Fond du Lac 34 Beds Three Meals a Day

The shelter opened on 15 November 2023, in collaboration with the community, and it operates on Christian values of compassion, dignity, and care for people of all backgrounds and beliefs, the parish's own warming shelter page says. It is open from half past five in the evening to seven in the morning every day from 1 November to 30 April, the parish page says, and thirty-four spots are available nightly for single men and women over 18.

Guests receive three meals a day, the Fond du Lac Reporter reports, along with access to showers, laundry facilities, and connections with community resources. Free meals are also available to people who are not staying at the shelter. Last season, 1,200 such meals were provided, an increase of 700 from the 2024-25 season, the Reporter says.

The numbers from last winter give the roof stunt its weight. During the 2025-26 season, the shelter served more than 120 guests and provided more than 18,300 meals, the Reporter reports, and the parish page gives the same two figures. The shelter also averaged 28 loads of laundry a night, both sources report.

Behind those numbers are the volunteers who kept the place running. Mark and Karen Krueger, who volunteered throughout the season, called the experience gratifying, and said it helped them gain a true understanding of what it means to experience homelessness, the parish page reports. "They are people who appreciate the generosity of having a hot meal and a warm place to sleep," the Kruegers said.

Holy Family Director of Human Concerns Erin Cobb said the town has carried the shelter from the start. "Just as they say it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to care for its neighbors," Cobb said, in the Reporter's account.

Reverend on the Roof 200000 Dollar Goal Agnesian 50000 Gift

Holy Family estimates it will cost $200,000 to operate the warming shelter this season, including staffing, utilities, food, and maintenance, the Fond du Lac Reporter reports. The parish also collects donations for shelter renovations, a seperate appeal from the winter operating costs, its warming shelter page says.

Last year's roof event set the bar high, and it did so in rough weather. The inaugural event saw Matthew Kirk spend just over two hours in a crane above the shelter in rain, wind, and sleet, the Reporter reports. The initial fundraising goal was $55,000, but contributions ultimately totalled $195,000, the Reporter says, while the parish page puts the total at more than $195,000 and describes it as four times its goal.

That history is why Pruess is not setting a time limit this year. He stays until the goal is met. The Reporter gives no detail about how Pruess will eat, sleep, or keep warm on the roof, and this article adds none.

Fond du Lac Warming Shelter Who Can Stay and How to Register

The parish page sets out who the shelter is for and how to get in. It is open to single individuals only, both men and women over age 18, and guests must be Fond du Lac County residents who bring identification and a Social Security number to register. Guests can register each night when the shelter opens.

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On 18 November, at 10 in the morning, Pruess will climb up onto a flat roof in Fond du Lac, and the only question that matters to the 34 people waiting for a bed that night is how long the town below takes to answer. Last year a crane, two hours, and bad weather turned $55,000 into $195,000. This year the ask is bigger, and the cold is already here.

But the most surprising part of this story is yet to come — keep reading.