Warming center opens at Albion church in collaboration among several agencies

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Karen Kinter, CEO of Oak Orchard Health, speaks during a celebration for a new warming center at Christ Church, an Episcopal congregation at 26 S. Main St., Albion.

The site has cots, coffee, tea, soup and hygiene kits when the temperature drops below 32 degrees at night.

Oak Orchard Health is taking the lead on the warming center, in a collaboration with other churches, organizations and the county Department of Social Services.

Kinter noted Oak Orchard provides medical, dental and behavioral health services, and pushed to have the warming center for people in a housing crisis because of the impact on their health.

Hoag Library in Albion is a designated warming center from Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The site at Christ Church will open when needed during the hours when Hoag is not open.

For information on the warming center, call (585) 895-4090.

Julie Carasone, warming center coordinator, is in a room at Christ Church with cots, meals ready to eat, hygiene kits and other supplies. She praised religious organizations and non-profits for donating the materials to get the warming center going.

A state grant also is helping to cover the cost of per diem staff. David Starkweather will be the supervisor and will have two other paid staff. At least one will stay overnight when the center is open. It had a person stay overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday nights so far this week.

“We saw a need in unhoused people who needed a place to stay,” Carasone said. “We are officially open and people are welcome here. We do it without judgement. We accept people with open arms.”

The staff doesn’t pry into why people are in a predicament without housing. Carasone said Oak Orchard and the collaboration of others just want to make sure people are not out in the cold.

The Rev. Joseph Kozlowski, the Episcopal priest in charge at Christ Church and also St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Holley, offered a blessing during the official opening. He prayed for those who will take shelter at the warming center and those providing hospitality.

Kozlowski said the church leadership embraced making space available for the warming center. It is in the fellowship hall which for many years was the community kitchen until about two years ago.

“We have the space,” said Kevin Doherty, one of Christ Church’s leaders. “It is God-given space so we should use it for something good.”

Oak Orchard is providing the staff for the warming center, as well as the insurance.

This group, led by Karen Kinter, cuts the ribbon on the new warming center. There are representatives from Oak Orchard Health, the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, United Way of Orleans County, Orleans County government leaders, the Medina Area Association of Churches, Christ Church, Hoag Library, Assemblyman Steve Hawley and a representative from State Sen. Rob Ortt.

Holli Nenni, commissioner of the Orleans County Department of Social Services, said more than 100 people are currently in emergency housing, often in hotel rooms locally or in nearby counties. The warming center is another option for people without a place to stay.

Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, presented certificates of achievement of Oak Orchard Health and Christ Church for their efforts in opening the warming center.

Johnson noted the county has been in a state of emergency for several months due to the rising number of people in emergency housing.

“We have never in the history of Orleans County had as many homeless as we do now,” she said. “The need is great and they (Oak Orchard Health and Christ Church) rose to the occasion.”

Nyla Gaylord, executive director of the United Way of Orleans County, helped bring the different organizations together to work on the warming center, which she said is part of a bigger overall housing crisis in the county.

A shortage of stable housing has negative health impacts for many in the community, she said.

The United Way convened the first housing meeting in February, and a warming center was among the issues. Gaylord said the United Way just secured a grant to hire a consultant to help develop a plan for more housing in general, as well as emergency and low-income options.

That consultant will gather input from developers, agencies, and local government officials.

Gaylord praised the faith community, government leaders, and non-profit agencies for making the warming center a reality.

“This is a triumph of the community collectively,” she said. “And we’re going to do so much more.”