More host churches, volunteers for WARM shelter

The Waynesboro Area Refuge Ministry cold-weather shelter is at the midpoint of its first winter of operation, and WARM Chairman Howard Miller attributes the support it has gotten from the community to a successful first month and a half.

“We’re still on a learning curve and we’ll make adjustments, but I would say in my estimation that it’s gone better than expected,” Miller said.

The shelter, which opened Jan. 2 and will remain open until March 25, currently has five different churches in its rotation serving as host sites: Basic United Methodist Church and Revolution Church of Waynesboro, as well as Springdale Mennonite Church, Church on the Hill and Fishersville United Methodist Church of Augusta County.

Miller added that three additional churches – Main Street United Methodist, First Baptist (Waynesboro) and Shenandoah Heights Baptist – are serving as hosts at the Basic United Methodist site, as members of their congregations provide meals and stay overnight.

Three volunteers are required to stay at the shelter each night it is in operation, and Miller has been thrilled with the number of volunteers from area churches, some of which are not even hosting.

“The support and offers for help have been amazing,” he said. “People have been so supportive, and it’s really awesome to see.”

Miller said that on an average night, seven to 10 guests stay at the shelter, with the highest number so far being 13. Patrons must check in at Basic United Methodist by 6:30 p.m. every night, and Main Street United Methodist provides transportation to the host site.

To this point, the number of disruptions caused by patrons has been at a minimum.

“They’re so thankful for a place to stay. They’re very courteous and respectful of the property,” Miller said, adding that security concerns were his biggest worry initially. “The volunteers have dealt in wonderful ways with disruptions that have occurred.”

The last date in which the shelter will be open has been extended by 10 days to March 25 due to a greater availability of hosting sites and more volunteer help than expected.

Then there is always the possibility for a blizzard in late March.

“We’ve had an incredibly mild winter, but you can have those cold snaps on into March,” Miller said.

Main Street United Methodist has provided linens for guests, while St. John’s Episcopal Church has contributed by purchasing new cots.

Miller also gave a special thanks to Augusta Cleaners for doing laundry free of charge to WARM, as well as city police for creating a good working relationship with his organization and nightly volunteers.

So far, WARM has partnered with Waynesboro Social Services to help one individual find employment and permanent housing and is in the process of working to do the same for others.

“I can’t say enough about how the hosting congregations have made folks welcome and provided a caring atmosphere for people,” Miller said. “You wonder who’s getting the bigger blessing – the volunteers or those using the shelter.”