Helping Those Who Are Without Shelter In Times Of Need

Kingston, NY – Today at the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church, Ulster County Executive Mike Hein was joined by Reverend Darlene Kelley, Ulster County Legislators, representatives from the Ulster County Department of Social Services and the Ulster County Office of Emergency Management, the Red Cross, and others as he announced the agreement between Ulster County and Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church to provide a warming center during extreme cold weather events and emergencies. The warming center will be located at 122 Clinton Avenue in Kingston and will open on days when there is projected to be three or more consecutive days of average temperatures of 10ºF or less.  The center will be activated by the County Executive and the Ulster County Office of Emergency Management in coordination with the National Weather Service Office. The warming center will provide homeless adults, ages eighteen and above, regardless of race or gender, with a warm shelter, a hot evening meal and breakfast and related services at the Church between 7:00 p.m. through 7:00 a.m. during days of extreme cold weather.  There will be separate areas for men and women to sleep, one area for men and one area for women.  Additionally, the Red Cross is actively training volunteers who will be helping at the warming center and they will also provide cots, bedding and blankets.

“It is critical to have a warming center in place and in preparation for severe cold weather as the winter season quickly approaches.  For those individuals in the community without shelter it could mean the difference between life and death,” said County Executive Hein.  “This warming center will be available to everyone in the entire County who finds themselves without shelter.  If a first-responder identifies someone in need they will be transported to this center.  Not only will the center provide warm shelter and a hot meal, it will also provide access to long term, life-altering services.  I want to thank Reverend Darlene Kelley as a `faith based organization´ for partnering with us on this important effort to serve the local community and I again look forward to joining Rev. Kelley this Thanksgiving as we prepare a meal for those in our community who are less fortunate.”

“We are so very grateful for the compassionate leadership of our County Executive and his staff, and we are excited by all the possibilities of our partnership,” said Reverend Darlene Kelley of the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church.  “If there is a need in our community we want to help, and the warming center is just one way we can help those in need. This year, the warming center will benefit from the combination of our new heating system and working with the County.”

According to Steve Peterson, Director of the Office of Emergency Communications/Emergency Management, "Several years ago the emergency management community and the National Weather Service Office in Albany agreed on an advisory protocol for unusually cold temperatures. If there are three consecutive days of average temperatures of 10 degrees or less (as measured at Albany) there would be conference calls between the National Weather Service and local Offices of Emergency Management.  Looking forward Ulster County will use this advisory to open a Warming Center where residents can come in out of the cold.  I applaud County Executive Hein for implementing such an important program and having a designated center in place before extreme cold weather sets in."

"Ulster County provides significant services to those in need, but unfortunately there are individuals who do not seek our assistance," said Michael Iapoce, Ulster County Commissioner of Social Services.  "I appreciate County Executive Hein's forethought in implementing a plan to reach those individuals during periods of severe cold weather conditions by establishing a warming center as a way to ensure people's well-being while providing  another avenue for critical outreach to the services the County has to offer."

The warming center will include online access to the many services provided by Ulster County and there will be someone available to assist them in accessing the information.  The Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church will provide information regarding their GED program, Adult Literacy program, lunch program and weekly legal clinic.

Some additional programs offered at the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church include:

• Caring Hands Soup Kitchen, available every weekday at noon, providing a hot and nutritious meal for the community;
• Food Pantry, open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with the help of The Old Dutch Church;
• Family Meals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings (with the help of social workers from The Kingston City Schools), and  pack meals for delivery to the kids at Budget 19, 9W Motel and the Wenton Motel four nights a week;
• Narcotics Anonymous meetings Tuesday through Sunday evenings;

If you know someone who is in a desperate situation or is homeless, they can reach out to Family of Woodstock hotline which can be reached 24 hours-a-day at 845-679-2485.

Pictured below: from left - Ulster County Legislator Jeanette Provenzano, Ulster County Legislator Peter Loughran, Ulster County Legislator Chris Allen, Citizen Action Lead Organizer Kat Fisher, County Executive Mike Hein, Reverend Darlene Kelley, Ulster County Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Social Services Cynthia Beisel, Ulster County Director of the Office of Emergency Managment/Services Steve Peterson, and Red Cross' Mark Raphael.