Walla Walla looking for warming center host
By Griffin Beach on Thursday, December 4th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The cities of Walla Walla and College Place and Walla Walla County have secured funding for a winter warming center, but they are still searching for a facility to host it this season.
The Walla Walla Emergency Warming Center operated last year at the First Congregational Church, providing homeless residents a place to go when the temperature dropped below 20 degrees.
Commissioner Bertha Clayton announced at Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting that a Request for Proposals (RFP) to find a venue was issued but had since closed with no applications received.
During a subsequent discussion Walla Walla Firefighter Cody Maine, who worked support at the center last year, shared that individuals with behavioral issues who frequented the center were a significant challenge.
“The difficult conversations sometimes don’t happen, and we talk about talking about problems, but we don’t really talk about the problem,” Maine said during the meeting. “So, I think this is a by-product of that, it’s put some people in a bad position.”
He added that there is a lack of training for volunteers at centers to deal with and deescalate behavioral problems.
Sam Jackle, Human Services Manager for the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health, has proposed a daily call to outline challenges facing facilities offering warming services and integrating community partners to help find solutions. She suggested that if this had been implemented in the past, there might have been more interest in hosting this year.
“We could be doing some more real time problem solving,” Jackle said. “And that way we can keep track of whatever is in place is meeting the need or not.”
Jackle said the next step is to speak with the different jurisdictions, service providers and community partners to explore options. She mentioned having a meeting scheduled for Tuesday and is working to set up more.
Jackle also noted she has reached out to the Christian Aid Center, which provides longer-term homeless housing, about the possibility of using part of their facility as a temporary warming center. She is currently working to get more information on how many people they could accommodate.
