Search On For 'Winter Warming' Center In Manchester

MANCHESTR, CT — The search is on for a winter warming center to serve Manchester in the colder months.

The Cornerstone Foundation of Vernon and the Greater Manchester Peace and Justice Committee have joined forces to establish a winter warming center in or near Manchester to serve "unsheltered people" in the town. Some months ago, members of GMPJ identified as a priority protecting people in Manchester from having to live out of doors in the winter.

They recognized special urgency this winter, because COVID-19 protocols requiring greater distancing and protections reduce the number of beds available throughout Greater Hartford, at the same time that health and economic conditions threaten to increase demand.

A volunteer who wished to remain anonymous explained, “When I was 17 years old, I suddenly found myself homeless in the middle of winter. It took a bit better than a week to find a room to rent. I slept alternately at the bus station, or stayed up all night in a coffee shop. What I have learned in life is that anyone can find themselves without a place to sleep, or get warm. Creating this warming shelter is a test of our common decency and compassion; I hope we do not fail.”
GMPJ consulted with professionals running facilities elsewhere in the area, developed a plan, and sought funding and space.

The Cornerstone Foundation, which currently runs a food pantry, soup kitchen, community center, clothing bank, and three homeless shelters in Vernon, offered its expertise to manage Manchester’s warming center. Cornerstone also oversees the Winter/Cold Weather protocol for the Greater Hartford Coordinated Access Network for communities outside of Hartford for this winter.
Under the GMPJ-Cornerstone alliance, the Manchester warming center will be open at least overnight throughout the winter. The center will be staffed by both professionals and volunteers, and it will be insured. Opening details will be finalized once the space is selected. GMPJ has called upon leaders in the religious community for help locating a suitable space and is also consulting with municipal authorities, business owners, and property owners. Anyone who knows of a meeting space that can be used overnight is urged to call The Cornerstone Foundation at 860-670-0587.

Several houses of worship have endorsed the project and are providing volunteer workers to bring it to life. Among these are North United Methodist Church of Manchester, Bolton United Methodist Church, Beth Sholom B’nai Israel of Manchester, and South United Methodist Church.

The Rev. Richard Thompson of South United Methodist Church said, "In the last community we lived in, on a very cold winter night, two men died trying to stay warm with a charcoal grill burning in the back of a closed van. Hopefully, something like that will not happen here."

Greater Manchester Peace and Justice started as a grass-roots, faith-based movement of concerned church members at North United Methodist Church. Its mission is in part to bring together people of faith-based communities and civic organizations in the greater Manchester area to address issues of peace and justice directly affecting the community.