Volunteer-run center provides overnight stay for those in need
A group of local volunteers now managing the county’s winter warming center wants people in need to know the center is there to provide a warm place to stay the night.
Located inside the Gilmer County Civic Center, 1561 South Main Street, the warming center will open if temperatures are expected to drop to 30 degrees or below, confirmed Sandy Williams, a member of the volunteer coalition.
“We’re trying to get our presence known out there. We’ve been having a difficult time getting the word out,” Williams said.
The warming center will open at 5 p.m. on those 30 degree-and-under evenings. However, if nobody shows up by 8 p.m., it closes for the night. Whoever shows up between 5 and 8 p.m. can stay till 7 the next morning, Williams said.
“We provide a meal and a place to sleep,” she added. “We have a trailer that’s stocked, and we can pull out (supplies).”
If the forecasted temperature on any night is above 30 degrees, the warming center remains closed until colder weather moves in. It opened earlier this month when overnight temperatures dipped to freezing, but nobody came then, Williams said.
The volunteer group had planned to reopen the center on Dec. 1, but Gilmer Public Safety annouced it would open earlier due to cold weather expected last Monday night.
The warming center was previously maintained by the county public safety agency, which currently acts as a liaison to the volunteers and is there to assist if needed, noted Al Cash, EMA coordinator.
Cash said, if possible, those staying at the warming center should bring a sleeping bag or “bedroll” if they have one. Cots and blankets are provided, noted Williams.
“City and county officials are supporting us, and there’s quite a few churches that will provide food and support We have five committees,” said Williams about the volunteer group, which includes representatives from transitional housing ministry New Beginnings for Gilmer County, local churches and civic groups.
“We’ve been trying to work with the homeless for over a year,” she added. “We went out in the summer distributing food (for the homeless). When we were distributing food, we made several contacts by helping people out. They may live out in the woods or in their cars just to survive. That happens a lot more than you would realize.”
More volunteers will be needed to run the warming center as winter rolls in, Williams confirmed. Volunteers stay nights when it is open.
“Most of us are older folks, so staying up all night is not easy for us,” she said.
The warming center can be used by the homeless, but it’s also there for people in a variety of other situations, Williams noted. It could be someone in need of a one-night stay who cant afford to pay for lodging or someone affected by a power outage.
“It could be you or I,” said Cash.
New Beginnings, a church-led housing ministry that offers temporary shelter for displaced persons, has recently explored getting a homeless shelter started here.
“We were looking toward (doing that), but you have to have the numbers to justify building a shelter. It’s an expensive endeavor to build and keep staffed,” Williams said.
For now, the warming center will provide overnight shelter from freezing weather for those who need it.
“We really hope we can reach people,” Williams said.
For more details on joining the warming center coalition as a volunteer, email newbeginnings@ellijay.com or see New Beginnings For Gilmer County on Facebook.