November’s weather has been largely mild, but overnight temperatures will likely dip into the 20s this week.
Thursday or Friday night may just be the first time this season that the Community Partnership of the Ozarks activates Springfield’s Crisis Cold Weather Shelter program.
The volunteer driven program is a partnership of thirteen nonprofits and churches and the Community Partnership of the Ozarks. They have capacity to provide 289 beds on nights when winter weather poses a threat to those that otherwise might be sleeping outdoors.
Emily Fessler is Continuum of Care Director with CPO. She spoke with KSMU and said the shelters were active 52 nights last season. They expect about the same this winter. The decision to open shelters is made on a day-to-day basis.
Fessler said the simplest directions anyone can give someone who may need shelter on a night where it will get below freezing, is to be at the Veterans Coming Home Center, on North Jefferson, by 5:30 p.m. They will at least get dinner, and if shelters are open, they’ll be transported to the space that best suits their needs.
You can also check if shelters are open via phone at the CCWS direct line: 417-290-3110. And two Facebook pages: The Connecting Grounds and East Sunshine Church of Christ Men’s Cold Weather Shelter.
Fessler said, like previous years, certain shelters are single gender, some are open for couples and select shelters do allow for pets.
One challenge going into this season, the closure of the Revive 66 campground in north Springfield has meant the Shelter program has lost some capacity.
“The reality is last year even with the Revive 66 trailers there were a couple of nights where we had to turn people away, because we just didn’t have enough beds. And so, with the closure and losing those 50 additional beds... we are expecting and anticipating to unfortunately have to turn more people away this year.”
Fessler says they welcome any interest in sites interested in volunteering their space. Individuals interested in volunteering their time can do so in a variety of ways. Find more information online at cpozarks.org/programs/ccws