Warming center to open in Poplar Bluff

Photo provided

First United Methodist Church Family Life Center, 500 N. Main St., Poplar Bluff, is opening a warming station at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

At this point, the warming shelter is scheduled to run until Saturday morning. No pets please.

The Methodist Church and Butler County Emergency Management Agency are partnering with Mount Calvary Powerhouse Church and FCC Behavioral Health to sponsor the warming center.

Donations of sheets, blankets and hygiene items are needed. Due to COVID, new items may be used. Financial contributions can be made out to Mt. Calvary Powerhouse Church.

Bishop Ronnie Webb of Mount Calvary explained, his church and FCC Behavioral Health worked together to provide a warming center during a past ice storm.

Webb said, he talked with Dr. Kirby Turner, who is helping spearhead the warming center. Turner contacted the United Methodist Church staff.

While EMA will provide the cots, new bedding, sheets, blankets, comforts, pillows will be needed because of COVID.

“It has to be new items,” said Webb. “We’re looking for donations for new blankets and, you know, comforters and sheets. And it has to be new items. It can’t be any used items. We’re gathering together and pooling resources for food so our cooks can be here and have a big, fresh pot of soup and sandwiches for anyone who comes in.”

The groups also are asking the community for toiletries.

Anyone or any business who wants to make a donation is asked to make checks payable to Mount Calvary Powerhouse, whose staff will be doing the shopping.

Webb said, “We can go immediately and buy the food or buy the items. They don’t have to be monetary donations. People may want to bring their donation by themselves, that’s fine. But, if they want to, or there’s businesses that want to donate toward the warming center, just make checks payable to Mount Calvary, and it will go for the warming center.

Donations also may be dropped off at Mount Calvary to either one.

Webb is inviting other churches or individuals to join in the efforts.

“We welcome churches to get on board with us that they want to donate food or money or comforters, pillows, twin or full size sheets,” Webb said.

No pets are allowed at the warming center. For more information about the warming center, call or text 573-429-9369.

While some may need to go to the warming center, others may want to stay in their homes, but need assistance.

For those folks, Bread Shed Executive Director Jim Ward said, “We don’t have beds, we’re not a homeless shelter, but we’ll do anything else.”

During the last ice storm, Ward said, “we got with the police and they called us when they had situations. We are not a place to sleep overnight. However, we did assist families. We helped with food, we helped with heaters, we helped with some transportation, we helped with diapers, we just did what we could do. We help people like we always do.”

Ward said, it is a lot better when law enforcement drives the bus.

“They see people, they bring people to us, and we help them from there,” Ward said. “We are willing to do any and everything as far as we have the ability to do.”

Once Ward receives a call about a certain need, “we go to Facebook and say, ‘we need this or we need that.’ It’s crazy how many people were willing to give us a heater, give us blankets. We have such a giving community, praise the Lord.”

Area resident who want to assist with providing for the homeless may drop off donations at the police station.

Poplar Bluff Patrolman Molly Johns suggested anyone wishing to help the homeless may bring donations to the front desk of the police station. “Let them know that you’re there wanting to donate,” Johns said. “We’ve got a little area we put stuff and officers will grab a few blankets. If they’ve run out of them in their cars, they’ll grab a few, throw them in the patrol car and as we see people out walking around, we’ll try to give them out to them.”

Donations of blankets, spare coats, gloves, mittens and hats may be distributed to homeless individuals.

“We don’t want stuff that’s in terrible condition or that you wouldn’t put it on your own body,” Johns said.

Johns suggests donating bottled water, Gatorade and other products that at least keep them hydrated, little snack bags, nonperishable items and canned goods with pop-tops.