Warming center available in Butler area
The warming center helmed by Glade Run Lutheran Services on East Diamond Street in Butler provides shelter for an average of 10 to 14 people per night, and the continuous cold weather could prompt more people to seek shelter in the former church building.
Steven Green, president and CEO of Glade Run Lutheran Services, said nothing has really changed in how the center is run — it operates from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. every night, and clients need a voucher from one of three agencies to be admitted. The agencies a person can get a voucher from are the Grapevine Center, Center for Community Resources and Catholic Charities.
Green said case managers from the Center for Community Resources and Catholic Charities visit the center every morning to make contact with the people who stayed overnight. He said the agencies are closely tied to one another, to ensure that anyone who needs overnight shelter can get a voucher for the Glade Run center.
“If someone is homeless, all our social service agencies know to send people to one of those agencies,” Green said. “As far as access to vouchers, I think every social service agency knows that those groups can give them.”
Green also said Glade Run works closely with the Grapevine Center, where people can seek shelter during the day. He said the warming center operated by Glade Run will be open well into the spring season.
“We are operating until March 31,” Green said. “All three years, we have had two employed staff present. Nothing has really changed in three years.”
