Warming station explores heating up again
By Terry Murry on Monday, December 12th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The Pendleton Warming Station continues to operate as a drop-in station where the homeless who are eligible can receive motel vouchers on cold nights. That practice was put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and due to a lack of volunteers, it continues to be the way the center on Southeast Court Avenue operates on a day-to-day basis.
Neighbor 2 Neighbor Executive Director Dwight Johnson said the pandemic created a 75 percent drop in the number of volunteers, which means there simply aren’t enough people to stay awake all night while the center is in use on the nights when temperatures drop below freezing. N2N is currently exploring its options as it works to return to a fully operational status.
“We’re looking at the potential of possibly hiring a couple of folks to do that,” he said. “We’re still exploring that option.”
Johnson said the city of Pendleton’s insurance company requires there be two people on duty to oversee the facility. They can’t sleep during that time. After the first of the year, N2N is hoping to be able to schedule a training session for new volunteers in January. The center consists of two separate bunk rooms, one for women and one for men; a kitchen; and a gathering room. Check in is at 6:30 p.m. and everyone has to leave by 6 a.m. the next day. It is located at 715 S.E. Court Ave.
