SPOKANE, Wash. — A new warming center has opened for families in need this winter.
Located on the Rising Strong campus of the Catholic Charities, the new center is the last push in the cities effort to give the homeless more options while keeping them safe and out of the streets during freezing conditions.
“The real key piece is that we hired a caseworker whose full-time job is to ensure we help these families find permanent housing as quickly as possible,” said Rising Strong Director Dawn Kinder.
The South Cannon Warming Center, which opened in November and houses 85 people during the night, is also party of the city's warming center plan.
This new Catholic Charities warming center can hold 50 people and prioritizes helping families.
Kinder says the building is a former art studio that was converted into what it is today. Fold-out mats are used as a mattress and there’s even a comfort area for any young children.
“We’re partnering closely with Family Promise since they will eventually have the extended capacity in their building, but until that time, we wanted to make sure no child was sleeping outside,” Kinder said.
As of now, the center will remain open until the end of March. The goal for any family that resides there is to get them out in a better position leaving than when they first arrived.