Thinking Ahead

It's a cool morning in the Ozarks of SWMO -- 62 (17c) at 6:30. 
The sky is overcast and I had to turn on the deck lights to sit out here with my morning coffee. With the cooler temps expected for the week, we turned off the a/c and opened the windows yesterday and I think that's the way we will end August. 

It might seem like it is a little early to be thinking about the coming winter, but the organizations that manage the crisis cold weather shelters are making preparations for the coming season. Meteorologists seem to think that this year's La Niña will bring a cooler, wetter winter to our area. Ugh.

Typically our shelter season runs from the beginning of November through the end of March. Each church or organization that provides shelter space relies heavily on volunteers to make everything possible. The group I work with uses 15 volunteers each night we are open. 
There are people that work the sign-up table at dinner, set up the shelter, greet and serve our guests, transport animals in the evening and again in the morning (we are the only shelter that takes pets), fix coffee and oatmeal in the morning, clean the facility, and transport laundry to and from the cleaners. These are all needs in addition to the ones that spend the night at the shelter. 
Shelters are only open when the temperatures are below freezing for most of the night.

Previous seasons have only had a few places open for shelter on most cold nights. Some additional places open when the nights are extremely cold, but even then we are far below the capacity we need. If you can help with any of the volunteer needs over the winter months, please reach out to us. Or maybe you can provide us with a container of coffee, hot chocolate, or a box of oatmeal. 
We also distribute coats, gloves, socks, warm clothes, etc.

I know that there are reasons that many churches cannot provide space for sheltering people in need, but it is very disappointing that of the several hundred churches in Springfield MO, only about a dozen participate in providing shelter or shelter volunteers during the winter crises cold weather season.

If you have questions or stuff -- let me know. I can put you in touch with the people that put all of this together. 

John