Emergency Director Touts Local Efforts Behind Warming Centers
Emergency Director Touts Local Efforts Behind Warming Centers
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Dan Spalding-dspalding@timesuniononline.com
Emergency Director Touts Local Efforts Behind Warming CentersAt least 15 people took advantage of numerous warming centers established in Kosciusko County during this week’s historic cold blast.
Community leaders opened doors to three locations in Warsaw, and officials in Leesburg, North Webster and Syracuse established emergency warming centers for anyone wanting to escape the cold.
While there was no rush of people seeking help as temperatures fell far below zero, officials expressed satisfaction with providing the service and coordination between agencies.
In a series of announcements, officials said folks in distress could contact police for rides to the warming centers. An exact number of people who were assisted was not available.
Kosciusko County’s Emergency Management Director Ed Rock visited several of the warming centers.
“The public outreach was fabulous,” Rock said. “It was a great outpouring of good service to the community for a lot of different communities.”
Cooperation and coordination between private groups and government agencies also stood out for some officials.
In Warsaw, people were able to turn to the Pete Thorn Center for daytime relief and the Fellowship Missions homeless shelter on Winona Avenue for overnight accommodations. Kosciusko Community Hospital also offered a warming center during the day.
In addition to its regular offerings for the homeless, Fellowship Missions normally sets aside space in its gathering room for those who temporarily want to escape the cold.
On Wednesday and Thursday, about 10 people took advantage of the offer, said Eric Lane, executive director.
“Numbers really don’t matter,” Lane said. “Even if it’s just one person out there that we can help, then it’s all worth it.”
Fellowship Missions provides housing for up to 46 men, women and children. Earlier this week, they were using all but four beds, Lane said.
“It’s a blessing we are able to do it,” Lane said. “There are just a lot of people in our community who are in need.”
At the Senior Center inside the Pete Thorn building, several people stayed during the day, and several others stayed overnight in an adjoining park office where park employees also stayed, according to David Neff, executive director for the senior center.
Neff said he was especially impressed with the coordination of services.
Those who used the Senior Center took naps and several used the available shower room, said Kathy Curtis, activities director for the senior center.
“We had a young couple that came in this morning. They were trying to walk from their home to a place downtown and they just couldn’t do it,” Curtis
After warming up, they were given a ride to their destination, she said.
Rock said Wawasee High School was opened up for two nights as a warming center, but he was unsure of the turnout.
The arctic blast, known as the polar vortex, sent temperatures plunging through much of the Upper Plains and Midwest.
More than 20 people are believed to have died as a result of the brutal cold across the nation’s midsection, The Associated Press reported.
The Midwestern Regional Climate Center reported more than 680 temperature records were broken or tied this week, AP reported.
Locally, temps in South Bend fell to 20 below and wind chills were close to 50 below.
In Leesburg, Plain Township Trustee Tyler Huffer opened up the township building where the fire department is housed for daytime visitors. They accepted donations from a church, which provided Crock-Pots of food.
Representatives of Fellowship Missions helped prepare volunteers on what to expect when people arrived and also provided scarves, mittens and hygiene packs, Huffer said.
Turnout was very light, but Huffer said they also visited several homes to check on families. They found two families who were using kerosene heaters inside their homes and advised against that practice because of the dangers they present.
Providing the warming center, he said, was an option that is “good to have.”
“It’s a little non-traditional, but I?think we have the space here, so let’s use it to our advantage,” Huffer said.
Seeing shelters go unused is not new and organizers realize that as they prepare, Rock said.
One time, a shelter was opened during a power outage after 18 people expressed a need, but ultimately nobody showed up, Rock said.
For some, Rock said, there is a reluctance to use shelters because of a stigma associated with them.
He referred to the 18 people who never showed up years ago.
“They need to realize you’ve got a great amount of people who are putting their time and effort into and when you say you’re going to be there and you don’t, that puts a hardship on those people,” he said.
