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As temperatures drop Springfield, Holyoke offer emergency shelters

Wesley United Methodist Church in Springfield's Mason Square neighborhood will serve as an overflow shelter during severe weather conditions.
Elizabeth Román
/
NEPM
Wesley United Methodist Church in Springfield's Mason Square neighborhood will serve as an overflow shelter during severe weather conditions.

Springfield officials, the faith community and several non-profit organizations have come together to establish an overflow shelter for the city's unhoused population.

Ed Van Zandt is with Catholic Charities, which will help run the program. He says the shelter has come at the perfect time.

"There is a real problem with the homeless population, getting them out of this extreme cold weather," he said. "It's going to be very cold for the next week to come."

The temperature is expected to get down into the low teens this weekend with a high chance of rain on Saturday and snow on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The emergency shelter, located at Wesley United Methodist Church in the city's Mason Square neighborhood, will have beds for 25 people a night.

Church pastor Catharine Cummings says establishing the overflow shelter has been a collaborative effort.

"When you invest in your churches, your city, your community, then partnerships come about in a grand way," she said.

The United Way will also help to staff and administer the program.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said the city's other shelters are at capacity most nights and more space was needed. He said this location will be open during severe cold and storms.

"When the temperature dips to 20 degrees or lower or we have severe winter storms that occur, that will trigger the shelter to open at that point in time," he said.

The city is using federal COVID relief funds to pay for up to 15 nights of operation this winter season.

A social service agency in Holyoke will have a pop-up shelter for Holyoke residents at 51 Hamilton St. opening at 5 p.m. Sunday and closing at 7 a.m. Thursday. Individuals must leave each morning by 8 a.m. Access to the shelter is through Kate's Kitchen door in the back parking lot.

Providence Ministries got approval for the pop-up through the city's Office for Emergency Management due to the cold temperatures that are forecast for this weekend and the beginning of next week.

“This emergency shelter aims to ensure the safety and well-being of those without homes during severe weather conditions,” said Jeff Trask, Holyoke’s Emergency Management Director.

Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia said the collaboration between Providence Ministries and Kate's Kitchen reinforces community support in times of need.

"This initiative underscores the [city's] commitment to the welfare of its residents, particularly during challenging weather events," he said in a prepare statement.

Donations of food and clothing will be accepted.

Adam joined NEPM as a freelance reporter and fill-in operations assistant during the summer of 2011. For more than 15 years, Adam has had a number stops throughout his broadcast career, including as a news reporter and anchor, sports host and play-by-play announcer as well as a producer and technician.
Nirvani Williams covers socioeconomic disparities for New England Public Media, joining the news team in June 2021 through Report for America.
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