WARM urges area churches to participate in cold weather shelter

Waynesboro Area Refuge Ministry, or WARM, put out a call today for area churches to participate in the cold weather shelter for the area beginning in November.

The notice, posted to their Facebook page, invited local churches to a planning meeting on Monday, Sept. 26, at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 500 S. Wayne Ave., in Waynesboro, at 7 p.m.

The notice read in part: “WARM continued the eighth season of cold weather shelter in our partner churches in November 2019 and expected a normal run that would end in April 2020. Of course, the world was upended by COVID-19 in March 2020 forcing the shutdown of churches and schools, businesses, factories, etc.”

WARM kept its cold weather shelter operational at Springdale Mennonite Church until April 2020, according to the statement.

“WARM received CARES Act funds that allowed us to keep our most vulnerable neighbors sheltered, fed, and cared for a local hotels for two and a half years. With these funds and those of generous donors, 75 unsheltered neighbors were provided for. Now that the funds are set to expire, the shelter sites will be closing,” the post read.

WARM has recalibrated its focus, the notice said, and plans to open our cold weather shelter in November 2022 to serve 35 guests for 20 consecutive weeks during the time of the year that is most perilous, weatherwise.

For more information on the cold weather shelter or meeting, email [email protected]

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