Wapato homeless shelter residents stuck out in heat after Noah's Ark halts daytime services

WAPATO, Wash. — People experiencing homelessness in Wapato are grappling with a lack of access to a cool space to escape the heat after Noah’s Ark abruptly hit pause on providing daytime services.

Noah’s Ark, typically open 24/7, provides essential services such as restrooms, food, sleeping arrangements, and a cool place to escape the heat. However, residents can now only stay there overnight, leaving them to fend for themselves during the day.

"The police brought water; the chief had food people, I guess, swing by here in vans and got outreach out here which is very good," resident Brandan Swope said. "Other than that, I don't know what's going on today with everything, but it sucks in the heat."

The shelter unexpectedly shut down on Tuesday, leaving residents, including elderly individuals and those with disabilities, without a bed for the night, forcing some to sleep outside.

"Hopefully, they don't shut it down permanently," Swope said.

A sign on the shelter’s door cited maintenance and safety repairs as the reason for the closure. However, Alan Harris, the board president of Generating Hope, the nonprofit that runs the shelter, claimed the closure was due to staffing issues.

Another board member mentioned on social media that the closure was due to safety issues and difficulties in retaining employees.

Harris said that Noah’s Ark will temporarily operate as an overnight-only shelter until a solution is found.

Meanwhile, people are left out in triple-digit heat without reliable access to food and water. Signs on the property advise against loitering, but many have no other place to go.

"I'm trying to have a way to get to Camp Hope now, the outreach program in Yakima," Swope said. "I'm trying to get there but the battery in my van’s dead and I have a blown water pump, so it's kind of a struggle."

Camp Hope is transporting anyone wanting to receive services through them to their Yakima shelter. People can call their outreach team at 509-424-1228 for information about services or transportation.

Harris said there is no set date for daytime services to resume, but they don't expect the change to be permanent. He said staff and board members are currently evaluating their options.

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