Warming center shifts to Uptown due to repairs
Catholic Charities’ Downtown Winter Warming Station will reopen later this week following repairs that are taking longer than had been predicted.
In the meantime, Divine Mercy Parish’s Epiphany Church location Uptown will provide a warm space to those who need it during the day.
Catholic Charities Director of Facilities Kathy Echement said the warming station, located at the Susan Zubik Welcome Center at 212 Ninth St., hopes to reopen on Friday. The Epiphany location at 184 Washington Place is a 15-minute walk or a short bus ride from the usual site. The temporary center is open regular hours, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The warming station began re-carpeting on Friday. Staff hoped to replace carpets during the warmer days over the weekend and reopen within a day or two. Ms. Echement said the center deals with many drug overdoses, some of which cause seizures and often lead to people getting sick and dirtying the carpet. The staff decided the space was in need of a floor replacement.
However, once repair crews had pulled up the carpets, they realized that the uneven floors of the old building needed to be ground down and cracks needed to be filled in before they could put down new flooring. The extra work has turned the project from a daylong project into a weeklong one.
Dan Taylor Interiors has
leveled the floor and Nova Flooring will be putting in vinyl wood.
Ms. Echement said that although the timing is unfortunate because of the current cold spell, the Rev. Christopher Donley has been kind enough to open the hall underneath Epiphany Church to ensure there is still a space available.
The warming station, which opened in December and closes in March, provides a warm place for almost 100 people each day. Donors supply those in need with coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and hand and foot warmers. Others bring homemade afghans to give away. The center also is stocked with coffee and tea, hygiene products, and other necessities.
Ms. Echement said that all kinds of people seek warmth in the center, many of whom stay at shelters at night and need a place to go during the day, or people who work night shifts.
The facility is run by a full-time staff on weekdays and volunteers on the weekends.