Salvation Army warming center opens in Watertown; other services available

Craig Fox, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read

Nov. 1—WATERTOWN — The homeless will have some place to sleep at night, to go during the day and get a warm meal this winter.

For the second year, the Salvation Army is operating a warming center at its 723 State St. location. The center opened on Wednesday night with cots for 20 people.

The Watertown Urban Mission will soon operate a day drop-in center for the homeless in its building on Factory Street.

Starting next week, the Emmanuel Congregational Church also will be providing warm meals Monday through Friday.

"We're still working it," said Jillian Redder, Jefferson County's housing director. "We're still working on the weekend component, but it's coming together."

The warming center at the Salvation Army will be available for the homeless between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. daily. It will stay open every night until April 30.

Capt. Dominic Nicoll of the Watertown Salvation Army said a need for a warming center this winter became apparent to him after talking to people who come to the center for meals and will need somewhere to stay when it gets cold outside.

"We're pretty much all set," he said.

The Salvation Army is still hiring staff to work at the center this year, but has enough people to operate.

The Urban Mission has set up space in its facilities for homeless people to go during the day. It will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A date has not been set for when it will start.

The drop-in center will include a couch, television, some tables and chairs, and coffee that will be available, said Cherelyn "Cher" A. VanBrocklin, the Urban Mission's executive director.

"Basically, we're here for whatever the community needs," she said.

The Emmanuel Church, 119 S. Hamilton St., will provide meals from 5 to 8 p.m. starting on Monday. The church was involved in those efforts last year. Organizers are still looking for volunteers to prep and cook, serve and clean up afterward.

Last year, homelessness came into focus after dozens of people took refuge at night under the city-owned pavilion in the J.B. Wise parking lot.

The city eventually closed the pavilion at night to keep people from sleeping there and a temporary center was opened for them in a West Main Avenue building.

In February, Transitional Living Services of Northern New York opened a temporary housing facility for homeless men on Pine Street.

Transitional Living Services, Neighbors of Watertown and Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions are teaming up to build a four-story housing facility for the homeless and very low-income people on a 3.4-acre parcel on Main Avenue.