Editor’s note: This article is the second in a three-part series about Sterling’s Twin Cities Homeless Shelter. An article published Thursday, Jan. 8, focused on the growing number of challenges the shelter faces. The third installment will publish Tuesday, Jan. 13.

The top item on the wishlist for the Twin Cities Homeless Shelter in Sterling is available just a few minutes from the shelter.

“Right now, what I’d really like – and they are on sale at Menards – are those 27-gallon storage totes,” said Myles Newberry, director of the Twin Cities Homeless Shelter.

Storage space is always at a premium for the shelter, and the totes fit and stack well into what space is available. They can be used to store everything from extra nonperishable food to donations of clothing and linens for the shelter.

“We can use as many totes as possible,” Newberry said.

[ Bursting at the seams: Sterling’s Twin Cities shelter works to meet needs of growing number of homeless people ]

Newberry also shared a list of much-needed items for the shelter that includes milk; ground coffee; sugar; black pepper; 13-gallon drawstring trash bags; paper towels; toilet paper; laundry detergent; antibacterial hand soap; household cleaners such as window cleaner, toilet cleaner and floor cleaner; disinfectant spray, especially for fabric; personal toiletry and hygiene products such as shampoo, deodorant, lotion, body wash, soap, shampoo and toothbrushes; dryer sheets; towels; blankets; men’s sweatshirts and sweatpants in all sizes; and women’s sweatshirts and sweatpants in all sizes.

“You don’t ever think about how precious a toothbrush can be to someone,” Newberry said.

When he thinks about donated storage, Newberry said one wishlist item would be a 12-foot-by-14-foot storage building.

“We don’t have a lot of space for storage,” he said.

Sweatshirts and sweatpants in a variety of sizes make the list because some guests arrive with what they are wearing.

“We have people who come in and they don’t have anything except what they have on, so we like to have something here that they can have and change into so we can wash their clothes. Sweats are warm and easy to get on, and easy to launder, and roomy and comfortable,” he said.

Another ongoing need is milk.

“We are going through about 10 to 15 gallons of milk a week on average,” Newberry said.

One program he said he envisions is a “milk club,” where donors each take a day and donate 2 to 3 gallons of milk on that day every week.

Another need that is ongoing is the need for volunteers. Newberry said the number of volunteers has declined over the years. Volunteers especially are needed to help out at the shelter on the 6 to 11 p.m. shift. The duties include serving supper and some light housekeeping.

“We have local restaurants who donate food, and church and community groups also cook meals, so it’s just serving those, and then some light housekeeping,” Newberry said. “We are really in need of volunteers to help out with that particular shift.”