Collaborating To Help Those Who Are Without Shelter In Times Of Need
Kingston, NY –Ulster County Executive Mike Hein announces that Ulster County and the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church will once again provide a warming center during extreme cold weather events and emergencies. The warming center will be located at 122 Clinton Avenue in Kingston and will open on days when there is a prediction to be three or more consecutive days of average temperatures of 10ºF or less. The center will be activated by the County Executive in conjunction with the Ulster County Office of Emergency Management in coordination with the National Weather Service Office. The warming center will provide homeless adults, regardless of race or gender, with a warm shelter, a hot evening meal and breakfast and related services at the Church between 7:00 p.m. through 7:00 a.m. during days of extreme cold weather. Cots and bedding will be provided and there will be separate areas for men and women to sleep, one area for men and one area for women.
“It is critical to have a warming center available to everyone in the Ulster County region who finds themselves in need of shelter during severe cold weather events, and I am pleased to once again partner with Reverend Darlene Kelley and the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church to continue this important effort,” said County Executive Mike Hein. “This warming center not only offers a warm shelter and hot meal, but also provides access to long term, life-altering services to our local community who are less fortunate and need assistance. In addition, when emergency weather conditions occur, if our first-responders identify someone in need they will be transported to this shelter.”
Reverend Darlene Kelley, Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church
“We are pleased to continue serving the community by offering a warming center during extreme winter conditions,” said Reverend Darlene Kelley of the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church. “We appreciate County Executive Hein’s continued compassionate leadership and look forward to working with him and his staff again to help those in the community that are in need.”
Steve Peterson, Director of the Office of Emergency Communications/Emergency Management
“Under County Executive Hein's leadership, last year’s decision to open a Warming Center in Ulster County when temperatures reached an average of 10 degrees or less for three consecutive days turned out to be very beneficial for residents that needed to escape the extremely cold weather we experienced,” said Steve Peterson, Director of the Office of Emergency Communications/Emergency Management. ”Continuing that partnership between Ulster County and the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church again this year will ensure that residents of the community have a warm and safe place to seek shelter.”
The warming center will include online access to the many services provided by Ulster County and there will be someone available to assist them in accessing the information. The Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church will provide information regarding their GED program, Adult Literacy program, lunch program and weekly legal clinic.
Some additional programs offered at the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church include:
- Caring Hands Soup Kitchen, available every weekday at noon, providing a hot and nutritious meal for the community;
- Food Pantry, open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with the help of The Old Dutch Church;
- Narcotics Anonymous meetings Thursday through Sunday evenings; and
- GED Program through BOCES, Tuesday through Thursday at 12:30 p.m.
For information regarding the warming center please contact the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church at 845-331-7188 or if you know someone who is in a desperate situation or is homeless, they can reach out to Family of Woodstock hotline which can be reached 24 hours-a-day at 845-679-2485.
