Young Kwak photo
Cold weather donations will be accepted at Spokane City Hall if coordinated with staff.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown declared an emergency Thursday as the city was expected to see temperatures plummet into the single digits and colder.
With the National Weather Service issuing a wind chill warning starting at 10 pm Thursday, Jan. 11, and continuing into the weekend, residents were advised that with the low temperatures dropping to 1 degree or lower, the wind will make it feel even colder outside. The wind chill is expected to make it feel as cold as negative 30 degrees at times, which can produce frostbite within just 10 minutes on exposed skin.
Brown's administration has been working to ensure enough space is available for those experiencing homelessness, and a surge capacity of 143 additional beds will be available at Hope House, Family Promise, Compassionate Addiction Treatment (CAT) and the city's TRAC shelter on Trent. Twenty beds each will also be opened at the Liberty Park Methodist and New Apostolic churches. Both church spaces will be operated by Jewels Helping Hands.
The city may also reopen the Cannon Street Shelter with CAT as the operator, but it may take another week or two for them to find staff to run that space.
During the day, people can warm up at the city's public libraries, which will be open from 9 am to 7 pm Monday through Thursday, 10 am to 5 pm on Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 4 pm on Sunday.
Spokane Transit Authority buses will give free rides to those seeking to get to warming centers and shelters when the temperatures are below 32 degrees. People can also call Jewels Helping Hands for shuttle service to the surge capacity shelters: 509-723-6201.
If you'd like to help volunteer to keep people safe during the cold snap, the city encourages you to reach out to the providers: Jewels, CAT, Hope House, and Family Promise.
For those looking to make donations, City Hall drop-offs are being coordinated by Sarah Nuss who can be reached at [email protected]. The city says the following items are needed:
- Socks
- Gloves
- Beanies
- Jackets
- Small blankets
- Hand or foot warmers
- Boots or waterproof shoes
- Waterproof dry bags
- Female hygiene products
- Sleeping bags
- Backpacks and duffels
- Small flashlights with batteries.
