Each winter, dangerously cold weather conditions pose life-threatening risks for people experiencing homelessness. During January’s inclement weather, a network of community agencies worked quickly - coordinating and spinning up services in an effort to support neighbors who often slip through the cracks. 

Community Action House’s Outreach Team called, emailed, and sought people out on foot - connecting with more than 100 unhoused individuals before and during the winter storm.

The Police Department jumped in, transporting individuals and even providing car seats to help move families to safety. But for some unhoused neighbors, shelter remained out of reach, and time was running out.

Coordinating with Hope Church, Herrick District Library, and Community Action House, First United Methodist Church spun up an overnight warming center, aligning hours with other agencies to provide round-the-clock indoor spaces where unhoused people could escape the cold. 

Read more about our community’s winter weather response by visiting The Lakeshore or The Holland Sentinel.