Warming Center for Homeless in Rochester

The Salvation Army of Southeast Minnesota will be hosting a Warming Center for people who are homeless when the temps reach below zero but they need your help. The goal is to recruit around 200 volunteers to help staff the Warming Center when it's needed.

On Monday, December 11 there will be a volunteer information session. You only need to attend one session. One will be at 4:30pm and the next one at 6:00pm. The sessions are only 30-45 minutes long. Please call 507-288-3663 and ask for Alex for more information.

Want to know how the Warming Center got started? It started in 2015 after enough Christmas donations came in to make it a reality. Here's the story:

The Rochester Salvation Army opened an overnight warming center Monday that will remain open for at least the next couple of days. Anybody who needs a warm place to stay the night can stop by and claim a bed, blanket and pillow. Check-in is any time before midnight.

 

This is the first time the Rochester Salvation Army has ever provided an emergency warming center.

 

“The only way we can pull something like this off is through people’s donations,” explained Dave Ferber, Rochester Salvation Army director of community engagement. "People who donated to the red kettles helped to make this happen.”

 

Ferber said when the severe cold hit on Monday, one person spent the night. On Tuesday, the number grew to 11. Another nine spent the night on Wednesday.