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Winter approaches, and Salem is seeing its first freezing cold nights of the fall. When nighttime temperatures dip below freezing, emergency shelters open to give some respite to unsheltered people and their pets looking for a place to warm up.
Most Salem warming shelters open on nights forecasted to reach freezing temperatures of 32 degrees. There has been a stretch of freezing nights since Thanksgiving, when shelters opened for the first time this season.
Monday night’s forecast includes a frosty low of 30 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, continuing the cold streak. Shelters are set to again open through at least Tuesday morning.
- Salem First Presbyterian Church — 770 Chemeketa St. N.E., open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Seed of Faith — 1230 Winter St. N.E., open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Along with a place to sleep, guests at Salem warming shelters will be offered a full warm meal and food for their pets.
Cherriots offers free transportation to and from warming shelters, and there will be shuttles from the ARCHES Day Center to its partner shelters.
For up-to-date information about warming shelter openings, see the Mid-Willamette Community Action Agency’s website or their Facebook page for announcements. Call 971-304-9211 to hear pre-recorded, up-to-date information about available warming sites.
Here’s information about the open sites, their hours and what to expect:
The ARCHES Day Center – 615 Commercial St. N.E.
Monday night, the ARCHES Day Center will stay open into the evening to help transport people to partnering shelter sites at Seed of Faith Ministries and the Salem First Presbyterian Church depending on their preference, said Ashley Hamilton, program director.
The Day Center will not serve as a warming site Monday evening, Hamilton said, but will extend its hours so that people who shelter there during the day can transition to the other shelters. Transportation to First Presbyterian and shuttles to Seed of Faith will start around 6 p.m.
Hamilton said that they’re expecting more people to use the warming shelters Monday, five days into a streak of cold nights.
“People get colder. That sustained cold, both in the day and the night, really drives people into warming center spaces,” she said.
They’ll be providing hot meals at the partnering sites for the first time this year, Hamilton said, rather than snacks.
The Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency’s outreach team will be visiting people who are camping in Salem to share information about warming shelters. Hamilton said people tend to underestimate how cold it is outside.
“It’s never too late to engage in these services. We want to get people inside, even if it’s not at 7 (p.m.) We want to welcome you at 9, 10, whenever is the right fit for you to be able to come in, including your pet,” she said.
There aren’t any volunteer opportunities available at this time, Hamilton said, and the shelters will be run by staff for the time being.
“We welcome volunteers in the future, but we want to get some of our systems a little more streamlined for this season,” she said, getting new sites and staff situated first.
The warming shelter network is largely funded through the state shelter money for operations, Hamilton said. The City of Salem also contributed $410,000 for the Warming Network and Safe Park services this fiscal year, according to its annual budget.
Salem First Presbyterian Church — 770 Chemeketa St. N.E.
Salem First Presbyterian Church’s warming center will open Monday night, said Sue Crothers, warming center coordinator. Their warming services did not open over Thanksgiving weekend due to scheduling conflicts with staff and usage of the space, she said.
The shelter will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and has a capacity of around 85, Crothers said.
Pets are welcome, and they can stay with their owners or the church has crates available.
Hot soup and bread will be available between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., provided by ARCHES and served by church volunteers.
Crothers said soup, noodles, and hot beverages will also be available throughout the night and in the morning.
“This is the first year that we’ve done that. We have instant oatmeal and cup of noodles, but we’re so excited about this, to provide better food,” she said.
The shelter’s space is in the church’s basement, which Crothers said is wheelchair accessible via an elevator. It’s a large open space big enough for a roller skating rink, she said. It’s heated with mats throughout the room, and a communal eating and sitting area.
Seed of Faith — 1230 Winter St. N.E.
Seed of Faith’s warming shelter will be open between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., according to a Facebook post from the ARCHES Project.
The church did not respond to requests for additional information about the warming center on Monday.
Hamilton said ARCHES doesn’t oversee their operations, and she couldn’t share many details, but described it as a large site. Those at the Seed of Faith shelter will also have a hot meal available through the warming network.
Cold weather health tips
The Oregon Health Authority’s website includes winter weather preparation and health tips to prevent frostbite and hypothermia. They recommend seeking warm locations to limit exposure on extremely cold days.
People with hypothermia may not know it’s happening, according to the heath authority.
“If your temperature is below 95°, the situation is an emergency—get medical attention immediately,” the authority said.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
