Unseasonably warm weather has delayed the November opening of The Warming Center of MHC at 603 Memorial Boulevard South in Martinsville.
“Because we are a weather-dependent center, we can only, literally, be open when the temperature is below [40 degrees],” said Warming Center Director Ariel Johnson, explaining that while Nov. 1 is the technical opening, their work is contingent on certain climate conditions. Johnson added that the center can open due to inclement weather, like rain.
The Warming Center opens near winter and closes in spring.
The Warming Center serves a dual purpose. It not only provides the unhoused refuge from the seasonal cold of late fall and winter, it’s also helps to bridge the gap between local organizations and people in need of their services.
Barbara Seymour of the Emergency Housing and Community Support Commission said the center treats its shelter and community assistance missions as equally important.
Changes this year will help with staffing, services
This year the center will enact some minor changes, like hiring staff instead of relying completely on volunteers. In previous years, the center sometimes had difficulty completely filling out their volunteer rosters.
All positions are part-time and range from overnight staff to case managers. The latter will allow guests to make use of resources to connect them to housing and other forms of aid.
“We will have access to resources and the ability for individuals who stay at the Warming Center to be able to connect to community resources from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday,” Seymour said.
“I want to emphasize and be very clear, as people communicate about the Warming Center, these are not hours for access to the warming center,” Seymour said about hours between 9 a.m. and noon. “These are hours for accessing resources.”
Community resources range from organizations like United Way and Salvation Army, among others.
“I would like to call out the Salvation Army; they have been exceptionally gracious in working with us,” Seymour said, adding that the organization has been particularly hands-on with the Warming Center by providing lunches and additional space to conduct community resource work.
The Warming Center is in a relatively better place than in past years. Seymour said that the center is still in need of assistance.
“We still need volunteers, we need meals, we need donations,” Seymour said.
To learn more about volunteering or donating to the Warming Center, visit their website.
