Truckee Emergency Cold Weather Warming Center

Tags: Collaborations

December 28, 2015 – April 30, 2016 – Truckee, CA – With the winter season already delivering frequent cold temperatures and snow storms, United for Action (UFA), a coalition of faith based groups, nonprofits and the counties, are happy to announce the official opening of the Cold Weather Emergency Warming Center.

The Warming Center is located at 10079 Church Street at downtown Truckee’s Church of the Mountains across from The Community Arts Center.  Open from 6:00pm – 7:00am, space fits a maximum of 16 guests with a rotation of at least 8 trained volunteers. Guests receive a warm dinner and a warm breakfast as well as a cot as long as they check in by 10:00pm.

In Truckee’s brutal elements, the warming center provides a safe place for people over 18 years of age and older to stay on the coldest nights of the year. Opening is triggered by severe weather as forecast by the office of emergency services: 15 degrees or colder, more than a foot of snow forecast or other “severe weather events.” Guests will be allowed to stay for as long as conditions persist.

Men and women will have separate sleeping areas, but families will be routed elsewhere when seeking a warm resting space.

After researching other successful warming center projects and hosting a number of collaborative and town gatherings, UFA developed a model for this winter’s pilot season. A subgroup of UFA formed and joined partnership with staff and congregation at Church of the Mountains to get approval of a Temporary Use Permit from the Truckee Planning Commission. The Pilot program serves neighbors in our area who are either homeless, live in spaces without heat or cannot afford to heat their homes. Included amongst the warming center’s goal to avoid death and suffering from exposure, UFA and partners seek to connect guests with additional resources they need.

In order for the center to open and remain opened, it must be staffed by trained volunteers. There will be 90 minute trainings set up for volunteers to learn operations and how to discern the ways they can best support vulnerable citizens. Those interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities can email Cathie Foley, Emergency Warming Center Coordinator, at comumc@sbcglobal.net.

Tax deductible financial donations are also gladly and gratefully accepted by: Church of the Mountains (UFA-EWC) in the memo line. PO Box 1209, Truckee, CA 96160.

The above press release was written by Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) on behalf of United for Action and the Cold Weather Warming Center. For more information, email Cathie Foley.