Beds for Freezing Nights
When it gets cold, what are those without a home or decent heat to do?
Current Needs: If you would like to donate items, some good ideas are sleeping bags, warm socks, gloves and hats, food such as ramen noodles or other instant soups, granola bars, cocoa, tea, instant oatmeal, and so on. You can dontate through Community Sharing, marking your bag as "BFN."
More About It: The Cottage Grove Coalition
Cottage Grove volunteers and host locations have been modeled after the Eugene Egan Warming Center. Our church has been open to host those needing shelter and continues to be committed to providing this service to our community.
Involved in the Cottage Grove coalition for warming shelter are representatives from the City, South Lane Mental Health, Community Sharing, South Lane Wheels, local police and fire, and several local churches and non-profit agencies.
Here is an an outline of how this program works.
The centers are hopen from 7 pm to 8 am. Once someone checks in\, he or she cannot leave until morning.
Trained staff rotate at each site with volunteers working under them.
Volunteers areneeded at each host sight to take a shift, and one person in charge at the site:
We offer the following shifts:- 6 pm. – 10:30 pm.(site preparation could begin at 5; lights out at 10)
- 10 pm – 6 am (longest shift but less to do)
- 5:30 am – 9 am (check out, close and clean up)
The host provides shelter overnight with nonperishable snacks and hot drinks available.
- Instant soup has been recommended.
- Some food items would be available from Food for Lane County.
Cots or floor mats are provided through the coalition. FEMA blankets (which are disposable) are provided free. Disposable airline pillows and pillow cases are provided through the coalition.
A separate place for storage of guests’ personal belongings is necessary. A local vet has volunteered to house pets overnight. No smoking or pets are allowed in the centers.
Cleaning supplies are provided through the coalition.
South Lane Wheels provides the main Warming Center and transportation to the host sites. Those people needing shelter can ride free from 6 pm to 7 pm, getting on at any of the 30 regular stops, and being delivered to the host site after the last stop on the regular route (approximately 7 pm).
If you are interested in volunteering as a host, please contact me through the church office.
Kaylen McArthur
