Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arch and Axe serves as cold-weather shelter
SILOAM SPRINGS — Arch and Axe, Siloam Springs’ axe-throwing center, opened its doors Jan. 13 to house those looking to stay warm for a few hours or all night, depending on their needs, said Heather Lanker, owner of Arch and Axe.
The shelter served the public until Jan. 21, when temperatures began to rise, Lanker said.
Temperatures dropped significantly on Jan. 13, and temperatures got to minus 6 degrees on Jan. 15 at Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Highfill, according to the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla.
Siloam Springs also received 3.5 inches of snow Jan. 14, said Jeff Sellers, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Tulsa.
Arch and Axe provided shelter for 31 people, including Juanita (who declined to provide her last name) and her husband, Bradley.
The couple arrived on Jan. 13 from Cassville, Mo., but lost their hotel room a few days later, Juanita said. Along with homelessness, they also had to deal with freezing temperatures and snow-covered roads.
The couple saw a post on Facebook about how Arch and Axe, at 201 N. College St., was serving as a temporary cold-weather shelter, and they headed there, Juanita said.
“We’ve been able to have a place to sleep and stay warm,” Juanita said.
Lanker said she got the idea of opening the shelter at the Breakfast Beats meeting on Jan. 10. Breakfast Beats is a monthly meeting hosted by Main Street Siloam Springs that gives downtown businesses the chance to discuss ways to improve their part of Siloam Springs.
Main Street Executive Director Stacy Morris mentioned temperatures were going to drop to freezing levels and wanted to know if any place would be open to help people who did not have a warm place to go to.
Lanker said Arch and Axe used to be apartments, and she decided to open up her business to people who needed to come in from the cold.
“I just put one Facebook post up on my personal page, and people just kept sharing it and telling me what I needed,” Lanker said.
People from the community brought pillows, blankets and other needs, Lanker said. Pour Jon’s at 516 E. Main St provided coffee, and other businesses like Cafe on Broadway at 123 N. Broadway St. provided food, Lanker said.
The Manna Center at 670 Heritage Court and Kind at Heart Ministries at 18561 Meadowview Road also helped Arch and Axe by providing additional needed items, and Beautiful Lives Siloam Springs at 103 N. Mount Olive St. provided clothes for those staying at Arch and Axe, Lanker said.
First Church Siloam Springs at 325 E. Twin Springs St. offered those staying at Arch and Axe free showers, Lanker said.
Becci Sisson, CEO of 7Hills Homeless Center in Fayetteville, lives in Siloam Springs and helped Lanker out by spending the first two nights at Arch and Axe to assist where needed.
Lanker’s husband, Jason, said Sisson helped set the direction and provided order as he and Heather navigated the process of assisting people.
Arch and Axe was able to house 31 people and not violate the fire code, Lanker said.
Those who could not stay inside of Arch and Axe but had a car were invited to use the parking lot, and volunteers brought out blankets for them, Lanker said.
Lanker originally was going to close down the shelter Jan. 18, but realized the temperatures were going to drop again, so she decided to keep the shelter open a few more days.
“I’m overwhelmed with how much care is being shown by our neighbors, our churches and our people here,” Lanker said. “That’s why I love Siloam.”