LAKEPORT, Calif. – A group of local churches is moving forward with plans to open a warming center for the homeless early next month.
On Jan. 4, the warming center will open at the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church, at the corner of Hill Road East and Park Way.
The center will be open from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday, through April 1.
During their stay, shelter guests will receive dinner and breakfast and have access to showers.
The center’s mission is to provide a warm and safe place to sleep for unsheltered individuals during intemperate weather.
The goal is to create a space that is physically and emotionally safe for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.
“Being homeless should not be a death sentence,” said Randy Brehms, pastor of the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Lake Transit will provide free transportation to and from the center. In the evening, people will be picked up at the bus stop at Third and Main Street in Lakeport at 6:14 p.m. after a brief intake procedure with a warming center volunteer.
In the morning, a bus will stop at the center and provide free transportation to any Lakeport stop on Route 8.
“This year many in Lake County came to realize just how precious and precarious our homes can be. Lake Transit welcomes the opportunity to support this compassionate initiative,” said Mark Wall, general manager of Lake Transit.
The warming center is organized by the Lake Ministerial Association and will be staffed entirely by volunteers.
Five different churches will take turns recruiting volunteers and staffing the center each night.
“This is a huge undertaking,” said association President Rev. Shannon Kimbell-Auth. “It is the culmination of months and years of planning that involved a wide spectrum of local agencies and organizations. A critical piece was gaining the support of the county planning commission and the Board of Supervisors.”
The goals of the warming center go beyond providing nourishment and shelter from harsh winter weather.
A secondary goal will be to connect individuals with appropriate continuum of care resources to get the help they need.
A broader goal is to gather information and experience to help improve the county’s development and implementation of interventions to address homelessness.
The association leadership wants to minister to those who have fallen through the cracks, and help them move forward.
There is a great need for volunteers in a variety of areas – team leader, intake, sleeping room and shower attendants, dinner and breakfast preparation and service, and security.
“At Christmas time especially, we might contemplate the time when Mary, Joseph and Jesus had to leave their home,” Kimbell-Auth said. “Presumably they were assisted by others who saw their plight and offered shelter and nourishment. What if no one had helped them?”
Anyone interested in helping or wanting more information about the warming center can contact Kimbell-Auth at 707-263-4788 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or Brehms at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
For information on transportation to the warming center, go to www.laketransit.com .
Community warming center to open Jan. 4 in Lakeport
- Lake County News reports
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