WARMING STATION

Caring For The Homeless Population Collaborative

Community Warming Station Ministry

The church family at Main Street is deeply committed to the care of the most vulnerable members of our community. In 2018, member representatives joined local service agencies in a conversation about the needs of the homeless who are often served often with temporary assistance and targeted help, but in other ways fall through the cracks of the system. Caring for the Homeless Population Collaborative emerged from conversations begun in 2018 by A.O. Fox Hospital’s Ethics Committee in part to help mitigate the number of homeless community members seeking shelter in the Emergency Department on cold nights.  Hospital administration hosted meetings with a number of agencies and local citizens concerned about neighbors who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Code Blue homeless at that time were sent to motels, receiving no resources other than a bed and some food. The Warming Station serves as a known location with regular nightly availability and services, unlike what has served as Code Blue in the past.

Catholic Charities of Delaware, Otsego, and Schoharie Counties is the lead agency, administering the Warming Station.  Main Street Baptist Church is the fiscal partner and property manager as an already existing religious charity.  The church identified and secured a rental agreement of a stand-alone building near downtown, Volunteers restored the building and staff were hired for the first shortened trial season last winter with the generous financial support of individuals, faith communities, businesses, and local foundations. A permanent location is being sought.

The Community Warming Station is not a formal “shelter,” but rather an accommodation for the homeless in response to New York State Executive Order 151 (Code Blue) which is defined as nights when it is 32 degrees or less with wind chill. The Collaborative desires to have the station open every night, so part of the fundraising will be for the non-Code Blue nights. We are also seeking supplies and food through other funding sources.