PROVO, Utah — Even though it might not have felt like fall with record-breaking heat this season, groups across the state are gearing up to keep people warm this winter.
"It’s inexcusable for a community to not have a place for people to go,” said Heather Hogue, project coordinator with Mountainland Continuum of Care.
When temperatures drop in the winter, warming centers come to the rescue.
"I think it’s a bare minimum way to tell people that we care about the vulnerable in our community,” said Hogue.
The centers are open every night from Oct. 15 to April 30, giving people who are unsheltered a bed and heat for the night.
The centers rotate through three different locations depending on the night of the week: Monday and Tuesday nights at the Genesis Project in Provo, Thursday nights at the Provo Seventh-day Adventist Church, and Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at the Utah County Red Building at 2855 S. State Street in Provo.
The Red Building is a new facility, operating for the first time this year. It has the capacity to serve almost double the number of people they saw at centers last year.
"Utah County saw the need, they heard that counties need to get engaged in this more, they responded to the call in a big way,” said Isaac Paxman, the vice chair of Utah County Winter Response Task Force and deputy mayor of Provo City. “They used their own funds to help make it work."
The warming centers have resources to address needs, like helping people get into permanent housing and other essential services.
But it does take a village. People have donated blankets, and volunteers help staff the facilities overnight — and they need more.
"We have people — once they come once, they sign up every week,” said Paxman. “Even though it’s a burden on them, their sleep, and they have day jobs and everything, there's something rewarding about this."
"I’m an adjunct. When I come, I grade papers through the night when everyone's sleeping,” said Hogue.
Hogue spends multiple nights in the winter helping make sure people feel safe at the centers. She said volunteers help people experiencing homelessness feel seen and cared for.
"People living in homelessness are experiencing trauma on a daily basis. We can embrace them as our community,” she said.
She also added that helping out is a feeling like no other.
“My favorite part is knowing that these are people that are warm, who would not be warm if I were not here," she said.
To sign up as a volunteer, click HERE. There are three shifts: 8:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., 12:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., and 4:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Volunteers must be 18 years or older.
You can also drop off new or gently used blankets (no fleece) to Community Action Services, located at 815 S. Freedom Blvd., Suite 100, in Provo. Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
