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.
Winter Shelter Program 2022 / 2023
OPENING CRITERIA: COLD SEASON (November 15 - March 15)
During the Winter season of 2022/2023, we conducted a research study that included keeping track of the projected temperature, actual temperature, wind speed, wind chill factor calculation and whether or not it was raining through NOAA ( National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). What we found, is that the projected temperatures and actual temperatures were off 88% of the time, so the actual temperature ended up being lower than the projected temperature. Because of the traditional model of opening a warming shelter based on a temperature trigger, there were a lot of nights that qualified to open but weren't due to the temperature changing so quickly on the Oregon Coast. Approximately 80% of the nights in the Winter Season had night time low temperatures that fell within the threshold for a hypothermia risk. It has become essential to provide shelter during the whole cold season rather than opening a shelter based on a temperature trigger.
PROGRAM POLICIES
People who utilize the Winter Shelter program must agree to the following:
- sign acknowledgement agreement of all the rules and policies
- Participate in a basic needs assessment and start process for moving through the system to get on their feet.
- Willingness to participate in a transitional housing shelter program/ housing opportunity should we find one for them.
HOW WE EVOLVED
The effort to address houslessness through the efforts of HB4123, has resulted in Lincoln County gaining the funding to pilot 2 winter shelter locations in Lincoln City and Newport open regardless of temperature between October and March of every year.
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