Warming Shelter

Warming Shelter

Mission Statement

Our mission is to maintain an emergency response in the case of extreme winter weather that provides warm, dry shelter, an evening meal, beds for the night, a morning breakfast, and help connect participants to helpful community resources, and to do all of this as a cooperative community service.”

When we’re open: The shelter will be open if it’s wet/raining at 37* or below or open on the 4th night of consecutive rain. Additionally we require two overnight hosts to open for overnight use. The shelter will open around 5 pm in the evening and close at 8 am the following morning. All shelter participants are asked to vacate the premises during the day.

Free hot meal: In addition to offering a warm, dry place to sleep, a free hot meal will be served from about 5 pm – 8 pm and breakfast in the morning. Movies will be available to watch in addition to games.

Dogs: Dogs are permitted as long as they’re well behaved, on leash and with their persons at all times.

Get Involved: Volunteers for cooking meals, kitchen clean up, overnight hosting and gathering or providing donations are a huge help and are required to keep the shelter open and running. We are NOT county funded and rely solely on donations and community participation. To find out how to get involved, join our FB page NSJ Warming Shelter.

NSJ Community Center

Warming Shelter Participant Guidelines

  1. Shelter participants must be in by 10 pm. No one will be permitted in or out after 10 pm without an escort.
  2. Shelter participants are not permitted to let anyone into the building once doors are locked. If someone is at the door, alert a Host.
  3. Wash your hands thoroughly prior to eating and signing-in.
  4. Wash your dishes and clean up after yourself.
  5. Leave all disagreements outside, be respectful and courteous of others.
  6. No loud or obscene language.
  7. Lights out is quiet-time, all participants must remain in their sleeping quarters and are not permitted to wander the space, except to use the restroom.
  8. Breakfast is served around 7-7:30 a.m.
  9. Clean up and put away your bedding and cots.
  10. Participants agree to help with assigned chores to clean and maintain the space.
  11. Well behaved dogs are permitted on leashes and must remain with their people at all times. No Dogs in the kitchen.
  12. All participants must vacate the property after shelter closes.No loitering.