CPO expects shortage of cold weather shelters. How to offer emergency space

It may be the dog days of summer, but Community Partnership of the Ozarks’ Crisis Cold Weather Shelter team is already planning for winter after a shortage of emergency weather shelters may leave people outside in deadly cold temperatures.

The Crisis Cold Weather Shelter program is a community initiative started by the Ozark Alliance to End Homelessness and facilitated by CPO. It helps meet a critical need in the community by providing a warm place to sleep during extreme winter temperatures.

“Last season we had to turn away people on two different shelter nights because there weren’t enough beds,” said CPO Continuum of Care Coordinator Emily Fessler. “Since then, we have lost 60 additional beds. That is a serious gap that we’re hoping to get ahead of now."

That need means Fessler is asking the Springfield community to help provide buildings that can be used as emergency weather shelters. These overnight shelters operate November through March, when temperatures drop below 32 degrees. During the 2023-2024 season, these shelters were open 52 nights, with an average of 183 total people sheltered per night.

“Traditionally, it has been faith-based organizations or non-profits that open their buildings for this, but we are open to anything, “ Fessler said. “There aren’t any specific requirements. As long as there is restroom access, our Crisis Cold Weather Shelter team can help work out the details."

Those interested in getting involved can contact Fessler at efessler@cpozarks.org.

Along with increasing the bed capacity comes a need for volunteers and buses or shuttles to help with transportation to and from shelters. Specifically, CCWS is looking for a large bus or shuttle to assist with transportation on Sundays and volunteers to help with transportation.

“Volunteers are critical to the opening and operation of these shelters,” Fessler said. “They simply would not operate without the caring hearts of our community.”

For more on the Crisis Cold Weather Shelter program and how you can help, go the Crisis Cold Weather Shelters section of the CPO website, CPOzarks.org .

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: CPO expects shortage of cold weather shelters. How to offer emergency space