Our Views: Growth of Cold Weather Shelter Shows Continuing Need in Community

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October has come and gone and with shorter, cooler days come frigid, windy nights in Southwest Washington. For most of us, a drop in nighttime temperature is no emergency — it just means cranking up the thermostat, snuggling up under an extra blanket and settling in for a cozy night. 

But for the homeless in our community, an overnight dip to 38 degrees or below is downright dangerous. 

For years, Bethel Church’s Hub City Mission in Centralia worked to provide a safe, warm haven for our neighbors living on the streets, but when its cold weather shelter outgrew the mission’s Tower Avenue home — peaking with 2,760 beds filled during the 2016-2017 season — local governments stepped up to help it move to rented portable buildings at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds. 

The move was a success, despite a few challenges. The portable buildings didn’t have running water and were short on space, with just enough room for 35 beds but little else. 

Last year’s milder winter also resulted in a lower number of beds filled — 1,965 over 86 days. 

However, this year the shelter has moved into the fairgrounds’ permanent 4-H building, meaning overnight guests will have more room, space to socialize and eat away from their cots, two kitchens, running water, showers and bathrooms. 

The building also has room for 40 beds each night and room to expand in the future. 



“We have a place to hang out, become a family, build relationships. … I believe any change in someone’s life comes from relationships,” Bethel Associate Pastor Josh Gering told The Chronicle this week. 

The shelter will open at 7 p.m. on nights projected to hit 38 degrees or below starting today. Read a full story on an open house for the new shelter by Chronicle freelancer Carrina Stanton on the front page.

As homelessness continues to be a crisis in Western Washington and throughout the country, we’re heartened by the dedication of volunteers with the Hub City Mission as well as the partnerships between government organizations that have allowed the cold weather shelter to thrive at the fairgrounds. 

It’s not a solution to homelessness, but it’s a step in the right direction, and for some, could be the difference between life and death. 

The shelter needs volunteers to open its doors — please consider signing up for a shift or two. For more information, call Bethel Church at (360) 748-0119 or follow Hub City Mission on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hubcitymission/.