Warming Center
For the Last two winter seasons, THE GREATER GALLATIN HOMELESS ACTION COALITION RESPONDED TO THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS BY HELPING TO CREATE THE WARMING CENTER. SPONSORED BY THE NON-PROFIT HRDC AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE WARMING CENTER OFFERS ANY PERSON OR FAMILY A SAFE, WARM PLACE TO SLEEP. THIS VITAL WINTER SERVICE IS AVAILABLE FROM November 15th THROUGH MARCH 31st AT THE GALLATIN COUNTRY FAIRGROUNDS, FROM 7 PM TO 7 AM, 7 DAYS A WEEK.
Click here for a map of the fairgrounds to locate the Warming Center facility.
KBZK News Feature on the Warming Center
See Us Featured On HomelessShelterDirectory.org
This year marks the 3rd season for the Warming Center and is made possible by all of you! The Warming Center is funded 100% by private donations.
A special thanks to the crew of dedicated people who labored evenings and weekends to get the facility up and running, adding running water, bunk beds, air flow, and much, much more! A very grateful thank you to:
Simkins-Hallin
Kyle Terrio
Les Gebhart
Cotton Sarjahani
Ron Brey
Kim Wattam
George Morales
David Jones
Gallatin County Fairgrounds Staff and Maintenance Crew
Matt Orrantia
Want to help? The Warming Center is in need of volunteers to assist staff during operating hours, groups to assist staff in cleaning and maintaining the facility on a weekly basis, laundry services and more…click here or contact Hannah at 585-4896.
2nd Annual ‘Flying Signs’ Fundraiser
The Warming Center Committee Members and Volunteers raised over $2,700 ‘Flying Signs’ on the street corners of Bozeman to raise funds for this year’s Warming Center operations. Thank you to all who donated and volunteered their time!
Warming Center – Background Information
The Greater Gallatin Homeless Action Coalition (GGHAC) was formed to network and create a community strategic plan to address homelessness within our community. The Coalition was formed under the ‘Continuum of Care’ model, existing across the country.
Emergency Shelter exists within our community in very limited fashions: Haven, for female victims of domestic violence (and their children); Hope House, for individuals suffering severe mental health crises, capped at a 5 day stay; Family Promise, for employable families, capped at 3 families (maximum 15 participants) for a duration of 90 days; and formerly Amos House, for homeless males over age 18, capped at a 7 day stay. HRDC operates programs that assist families in obtaining permanent housing, and has recently been awarded new grant funds to provide further transitional housing opportunities within the community, yet is still unable to immediately serve someone experiencing homelessness. Housing workshops are offered twice weekly in Bozeman and once weekly in Livingston to provide resources and case management services for those who are currently experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless (current eviction notice).
Further, HRDC has provided homeless placement services (security deposit, rental assistance, case management services, housing search assistance) to more than 240 households within the last fiscal year. Each of these households was without housing at the time they reached out to HRDC for assistance. They were each ineligible for existing shelter services available within the community.
GGHAC’s mission is to prevent any loss of life within our community due to the elements by providing a facility with heat and plumbing available to all populations. GGHAC’s mission is also to document the need and utilization of a warming center facility, combined with specific demographics of those who participate in order to effectively advise the community of how to best focus its resources to serve the ‘homeless’ population regardless of age or circumstance.
Thus, during a 2010 fall GGHAC meeting, a committee was established to look at a short-term, immediate response to the need for ‘a warm place’ for someone to seek shelter. The committee was responsible for all operations of the Warming Center facility last year and recommended to GGHAC that the Warming Center be re-opened during the 2011-2012 winter season.
New space for the Warming Center has been secured for our third season, increasing our occupancy from a maximum of 18 males and 6 females, to 24 male beds, 8 female beds, and 2 family rooms. We are grateful for the Gallatin County Fairgrounds and their willingness to partner with the Warming Center for the first two seasons and for the beginning of our third season while we make the necessary improvements to our new space. The Warming Center will open this year on November 15 and offer a safe, warm place to sleep through the end of March, 2013.
