$33K for Warming Centers: Area nonprofits to administer funding

As snow and freezing temperatures descended on Curry County the weekend of March 4, volunteers with St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Brookings, Neighbor2Neighbor in Port Orford, Curry Homeless Coalition in Gold Beach, and Brookings CORE Response established warming centers and cold-weather clothes and supplies for the unhoused.

HAF+WRCF’s Community Response Team was asked to host an emergency online meeting March 4 with community groups to discuss how best to support their efforts. By Saturday evening, warming shelters were open in Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings — all independently run by nonprofit organizations.

“Groups in Curry County serving the unhoused have run into barrier after barrier, year after year, as they try to establish warming centers and shelters. This winter’s storms have been historic, certainly not anything I’ve seen in my lifetime growing up in Curry County.” HAF+WRCF’s Acting Vice President of Strategy, Programs and Community Solutions Michelle Carrillo said. “We hope these grants can help save lives, as our communities brace for more freezing temperatures, snow, hail, rain and high winds."

HAF+WRCF’s grants were prompted, in part, by the recent death of a 62-year-old un-housed woman who was released from Curry County Jail in Gold Beach on Feb. 25, only to be found deseased outside on the north end of town a few days later.

Authorities believe that exposure to rain and freezing temperatures was a likely factor in her death.

“This woman died a half-mile from a place that could have been a warming shelter. It’s something that never should have happened,” Carrillo said. “These warming shelters and the people volunteering to keep them open are saving lives this week, but we need more organizations and leaders in our community to step up right now to ensure a plan is in place for future emergencies, including mutual aid and support.”

Through HAF+WRCF’s Disaster Response and Resilience Fund, initial grants totaling $33,880 were provided on Monday, March 6, to three different organizations involved in operating the warming shelters.

“We are in active communication with the various organizations who responded over the weekend, many of which are continuing to gear up for the week ahead and are still determining further needs,” Program Officer for Strategy, Programs and Community Solutions Rachel Montgomery said. “As with most emergencies, direct financial support gives each organization the flexibility needed to be responsive and meet critical needs.”

HAF+WRCF plans to distribute additional grants. Meanwhile, the organizations that received immediate grants so far include:

• St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Brookings: staffing costs, food, and supplies for its warming center, plus winter weather supplies and overnight motel rooms and case management services for fragile individuals.

• Neighbor 2 Neighbor, Port Orford: winter weather shelter, including floor mats, snacks, clothing, and cleaning supplies.

• Brookings CORE Response, Brookings: fuel and other costs for supporting winter weather shelter efforts.

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church Vicar Father Bernie Lindley said he will use the grant to backfill what the church spent last weekend to provide basic supplies and immediate shelter for up to 15 people.

“We just did the right thing. We did what we needed to do, and Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation didn’t let us down,” Lindley said. “We’re grateful to get the funding so quickly.”

Brookings CORE Response Executive Director Diana Cooper, who often partners with St. Timothy’s, said the HAF+WRCF grant “will definitely help to replenish our supplies and continue to help to our clients.”

In Port Orford, Tanya Rae, of the newly formed Neighbor2Neighbor, will use her grant to buy gloves, hats, coats and shoes for the unhoused, as well as sleeping mats for the town’s warming shelter.

“There’s a huge need here — every day I see people walking around wearing thin jackets — and these funds will really help us out,” Rae said.

To donate directly to the organizations leading the relief efforts:

• St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church: www.sttimothyepiscopal.org, 541-469-3314
• Neighbor2Neighbor: www.n2npo.org or n2npo@gmail.com
• Brookings CORE Response: www.brookingscoreresponse.org, 541-251-0825
• Curry Homeless Coalition: www.curryhomelesscoalition.org, 541-425-0426
• Oasis Shelter Home, Inc: House: 541-247-7600 or on Facebook

To contribute to HAF+WRCF’s Disaster Response & Resilience Fund, or to submit a grant application, visit hafoundation.org/Giving/DisasterFund. Contact HAF+WRCF at grants@hafoundation.org or call 707-442-2993.