During super cold weather periods there is a need for churches or other spaces to offer up warming centers to those with no place to go. Especially when public buildings like the library or the Urbana City Building might be closed.

Last winter during a cold snap we were asked by the Cunningham Township Office if we could serve as a warming center. It was a day or two before Christmas, and we didn’t have any guidelines on how such a center should operate and it was difficult to find last-minute volunteers.

Are you interested in what it might take to become a warning center? Could you look into how to make it happen, what policies and processes need to be put in place, and think through the many questions that came up?

We have collected ideas/materials from some other organizations. There are a few churches in Champaign that serve as warming centers during super cold weather, but according to the Cunningham Township Office and the Regional Planning Commission there are no churches in Urbana serving as warming
centers.

If you are interested in exploring what it would take to be a Warming Center for Urbana by first doing some research, please contact Pam Richart (prichart@ecojusticecollaborative.org ), the head of our Social Action Council (SAC).