North County Warming Shelter 2016 - 2021
SEASONAL: Mid-December through Mid-March
OPENING TRIGGER: Below 40 degrees
We provided the homeless in Lincoln City and surrounding areas a warm, safe place to sleep, 3 meals and various other basic necessities when the night-time low temperature reached below 40 degrees. Our season typically started in Mid-December and ended Mid-March.
Various churches in partnership with the Lincoln City Church Alliance Group agreed to be on a rotating schedule every season taking the whole burden off of just one church.
How We Evolved
After COVID-19, shelters were shut down and extra dollars were provided to put people in motel rooms. It quickly became apparent that although warming shelters are more cost effective to run, there were multiple additional needs that were being met by utilizing motel rooms. Currently warming shelters in Lincoln County have evolved into utilizing motel voucher programs incorporating Case Management.
Summer Bus Passes for School Aged Children: 2018-2020
Purpose of Program:
The program was designed to provide families with children and unaccompanied youth with transportation to and from hot meal sites throughout the summer at no cost to those who qualify for the program.
How it works: Laminated bus passes are provided to children and unaccompanied youth registered with the H.E.L.P Center at their schools in their backpacks prior to the last day of school. Along with the laminated pass, a bus schedule is provided with highlighted stops marking the qualifying stops closest to the hot meal site. After families are picked up, they can only be dropped off at the qualifying bus stops. To go home, families have to be picked up at one of the qualifying bus stops.
How We Evolved
Lincoln County Transit was able to use the data we captured to receive grants to further continue the program. Since the inception of this program, Lincoln County Transit has grown the passes to include any youth who hold a student body card to have free transportation anywhere in the County.
Mobile Meal Program 2020
Purpose of Program:
In March 2020, created out of necessity from the COVID-19 lock down, we started the mobile meal lunch program, several volunteers making lunches and delivering them to various spots throughout Lincoln City every day. We also carry around other resources such as socks, toiletries, tents, sleeping bags and thermals.
Mobile Meal Program Stats March 18, 2020 - July 10, 2020.
# of delivery spots: 7
# of unduplicated people: 189
# of men: 123 = 65%
# of women: 52 = 28%
# children: 14 = 7%
# of consecutive days: 114
# of pairs of socks: 175
# of tents: 17
# of sleeping bags: 78
# of toiletry packs: 60
# of blankets: 95
# of tarps: 50
Additional Program: We receive donated food from Safeway and share items such as bread, milk cheese, eggs & sometimes meat to 3 low income apartment complexes.
How We Evolved
After the Echo Mountain Fire, we were able to secure a temporary location called RISE to disburse supplies to those in need. The mobile meal program was no longer needed and the meals were moved to a set location.