Overnight warming shelters are already in use as temperatures plunge below freezing, with organizers expecting more use as the worst of winter weather approaches.
Overnight warming shelters are open in Columbus, Starkville and West Point. The National Weather Service has declared a winter storm warning until Saturday, with sub-freezing nighttime lows continuing through at least Wednesday.
Genesis Church saw four people overnight in its shelter Wednesday and expected more for Thursday night as weather conditions worsened. The shelter is a partnership among the Golden Triangle Regional Homeless Coalition, the Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency and United Way of the Golden Triangle.
Genesis Church Executive Assistant Jessica Gilmore said Thursday that its 20 beds would be available each day during the cold snap starting at 3 p.m., with doors locking at 10. She said Wednesday’s occupants and local police were both helping to get the word out.
“We’re expecting more because of the weather report and because of conversations with the gentlemen here last night,” she said. “There are homeless people they know in our community who they personally want to invite over. … Our police department and city community outreach team are out looking for individuals who want or need to come as well.”
Volunteer coordination was being run by the Golden Triangle Regional Homeless Coalition. Director Susan Garton told The Dispatch that anyone looking to volunteer should contact the coalition’s hotline at (662) 549-2643 or its email, [email protected].
The shelter is also seeking material donations, particularly winter clothing and toiletries. Anyone looking to contribute can drop them off at the church or the city’s community outreach office at 1607 Main St.
“We’re still very appreciative of donations if people can bring them, that’s very important to us,” Gilmore said. “Blankets, socks, toiletries, gloves, hats, those sorts of things. Even nonperishable food items or fruits, cases of water. If people can still bring donations, our door will be open.”
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region is raising money for the shelter effort. The city council voted Tuesday to match up to $2,000 in donations, and the nonprofit’s Executive Director Renee Sanders told The Dispatch it had already collected $1,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
Sanders is confident United Way will easily meet the goal, and she encouraged people who want to donate to do so online, by calling her office at (662) 370-1922 or by stopping by United Way’s new building at 362 Park Creek Drive.
“This is just January,” she said. “This isn’t going to be the only cold spurt we have. That shelter will have to be open multiple times.
People shouldn’t think, ‘Oh, it’s not cold anymore, they don’t need our finances.’ Even once we raise the $2,000, this is just the start of the year. Once we’re done with the cold, then we’re dealing with the heat. There’s always something.”
Starkville
Oktibbeha’s Community Safe Room opened for overnight shelter Wednesday, though Emergency Management Director Kristen Campanella said Thursday that nobody required its service.
She told The Dispatch that the shelter was open Thursday night as well and will stay open until noon Friday “unless conditions or temperatures change.”
“Any time the safe room is operational, it is staffed by Oktibbeha County EMA/911,” she said in a statement. “With this event, we also have a loyal volunteer from the First Baptist Church/Kiwanis Club that is helping out.”
Nonprofit Starkville Strong continued to keep volunteers on standby and collect donations of winter clothing, heaters and Hothands.
Executive Director Brandi Herrington told The Dispatch on Thursday that sleeping bags and hygiene items were particularly impactful donations.
Anybody looking to donate items can drop them off at Dunkington’s donation bin at 109 S. Lafayette St.
West Point
A warming shelter has also been opened for those in need in West Point and Clay County, according to an email from the Growth Alliance. The shelter was open Thursday and will be open Friday night from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the Northside Christian Church Fellowship Hall at 114 Cottrell St.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
