Utah County warming centers need donations, volunteers after opening this week

Those experiencing homelessness in Utah County have a guaranteed place to stay through the winter, as warming centers opened for the season on Tuesday. The organization coordinating the logistics says they still need the community’s help.

At the Community Action Services food bank in Provo, in the back of one of the rows, pallets of supplies sit next to a forklift, ready for distribution.

Heather Hogue walked up the row Monday evening, explaining that many of the items were snacks, as well as supplies like sleeping mats and blankets.

“We have peanut butter crackers, we have cookies, we have all the cup noodles that you could ever go through, and water bottles as well,” she listed off.

Hogue serves as the project coordinator for Mountainland Continuum of Care, a coalition focused on homelessness prevention and housing needs.

She explained how they’re shipping the items to the three warming centers in Utah County, including The Genesis Project, which is set to open for the season Tuesday.

“It’s starting to get a little chilly at night, so we’re really happy to have a warm place for our homeless community to come in and stay,” Hogue said.

They want to keep the rotation of warming centers stocked this winter, but she explained they still need donations for supplies to last all season.

One item needed the most

“The most crucial item is going to be our blankets,” she said. “We’re going to need to be swamped with blankets.”

They also need volunteers to staff the centers in shifts. Hogue said the centers, which rotate throughout the week, need a minimum of six adult volunteers every night. The adults have three shifts to choose from throughout the night.

Volunteers help check people in, Hogue explained, and make sure there’s enough food during the night. They also speak with people and get to know them on a personal level.

“We’re looking for adults that want to come in and help us ensure that people’s needs are met, help us ensure that people have a safe place to sleep,” Hogue said.

Ensuring safety, she indicated, can lead to more than just a night’s rest outside of the cold. It gives Mountainland Continuum of Care an opportunity to work with individuals on finding resources that Hogue said can range from mental health care to housing.

“We can also help connect them with the resources that are going to help with removing whatever barriers led to homelessness,” Hogue said.

State law

State law mandates the warming centers open Oct. 15 and stay open until April 30. The locations rotate throughout the week on a set schedule between The Genesis Project, Provo Seventh-Day Adventist Church, and the Utah County Public Works Red Warehouse.

Hogue described how dropping off donations and signing up to volunteer is “a really good way to really make a difference in our community.”

“It’s an opportunity for us to put our arms metaphorically around the one in our community that might be forgotten,” Hogue said, adding, “We want to make sure that nobody in our community is forgotten.”

Those who want to volunteer this can sign on the warming center ’s website. Mountainland’s website offers options for donating needed items and drop-off information.