By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Ellis County Ministerial Alliance has expanded the days of operation for the Hays warming shelter this year, and is seeking more volunteers.
The Hearth is an evening emergency shelter in the basement of the First Baptist Church, 1111 Fort St., Hays.
Last winter, the shelter only operated when temperatures dipped below 20 degrees.
Ben Houchen, local pastor, said the Ellis County Ministerial Alliance, which sponsors the shelter, struggled to communicate to those who needed it when the shelter would be open.
This winter, volunteers have committed to opening the shelter every night between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28. The shelter will be open in March on any night the temperature falls below 30 degrees or the forecast calls for bad weather.
Shelter guests must check in between 8 and 10 p.m. If no guests check in by 10 p.m., the shelter will close for the night. The shelter is open until 7 a.m.
Shelter guests can't be under the influence of a substance the night they stay in the shelter and must follow a list of rules.
On about 80% of nights the shelter was open last winter, it was used. The shelter averaged two people per night, Houchen said.
This winter, several nights, the shelter has had an additional person or two and even a family for several days.
Houchen said two unhoused people died in Kansas last winter because of extreme cold. He said Hays prevented that from happening here.
"We have a larger homelessness problem in Hays than I think most people recognize," Houchen said.
"We are working with some other people who are living in their cars or are having housing issues and making them aware of this, so they are able to stay there too," he said.
Houchen said, to his knowledge, there is no other emergency homeless shelter between Salina and Denver in northwest Kansas or eastern Colorado.
First Call for Help has the First Step Housing program. That transitional housing program is for women and families only, and you must be an Ellis County resident.
SEE RELATED STORY: First Step Housing helps women start over
"It's dangerous to live outside," Houchen said. "Not everyone who encounters a person living on the street is kind. Not every situation you meet is good."
Houchen said the shelter provides a night of safety.
Once the guests enter the shelter for the night, they can't leave until morning. He said this rule is in place to protect both the shelter guests and the volunteers.
The church is also equipped with a defibrillator and volunteers can call an ambulance if a guest has any health problems.
The shelter does not provide hot meals, but it offers a meal kit with a bowl of instant oatmeal and a snack bar. Other food is offered to shelter guests, as available in the pantry.
The shelter has received a grant to install a shower and has received a donated washer and dryer. Both projects are underway.
Finding volunteers has been the shelter's most significant challenge, Houchen said.
Many people are willing to help with food insecurity, but some still perceive homelessness as a personal failing, he said.
"There seems to be for some people this mentality or feeling that you're homeless, if you're unhoused, if you're living in your car, you did something to get yourself there and that there's some kind of moral deficiency that has placed you in that position," Houchen said.
"[We're] trying to educate people and help them understand that's not what the problem is for the vast, vast majority of people who are experiencing a housing crisis."
Even if someone has made a mistake that has led to their homelessness, Houchen said they still need safety and warmth.
"They're still a human being," he said.
Volunteering
Houchen said the shelter needs volunteers who can spend the night, especially those who can commit to at least one night per week.
Between now and the end of February, that is only eight nights, he said.
The first step to becoming a volunteer is to visit The Hearth website. You must be older than 18.
You will need to complete an online general Red Cross training. A link is available on The Hearth website. Once the training is complete, you need to email your training certificate to [email protected] and register to volunteer through the website.
The shelter offers onsite training to volunteers on their first night, or they can complete it in advance. Volunteers always serve in pairs.
The shelter's expenses are funded through grants and donations.
Learn more about The Hearth on its website.
You can also follow the Ellis County Ministerial Alliance on Facebook.