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Agencies, municipalities gearing up to help residents during cold snap

3 min read
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Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Paul Smith, coordinator for the Samaritan Cafe at the City Mission in Washington, mops the floor of the cafe, which is used as a warming center throughout the winter.

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Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

The Samaritan Cafe at the City Mission in Washington also serves as a warming center during the winter months. People who need to use the warming center and/or the cold weather shelters at the mission also have access to meals in the dining hall.

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The chapel at the City Mission in Washington is available for women and children as a cold weather shelter beginning at 8:45 p.m.

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Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Men seeking shelter from the cold overnight are asked to enter through the shelter entrance at the City Mission in Washington. Part of the dining room will be used as a space to sleep. Anyone is welcome to check in after 8:45 in the evening.

On two days when Southwestern Pennsylvania will have temperatures rivaling those in Siberia and the North Pole, several agencies in Washington and Greene counties will be providing shelter for individuals who would otherwise be unable to escape the chill.

“We are gearing up,” said Gary Porter, the communications manager for Washington City Mission. With high temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday forecast to just creep into the teens, and wind chills anticipated to reach the minus-20 range, officials at City Mission on Wheeling Street in Washington were setting up cots in its cold-weather shelter. They were also planning on making free coffee and meals available.

In anticipation of the impending deep freeze, Gov. Tom Wolf released a statement urging residents to stay inside as much as possible, keep tabs on weather forecasts, and check on friends and neighbors, particularly the elderly. The governor’s office also said the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency will be in contact with county emergency management personnel throughout the commonwealth to make sure they have the necessary resources to assist residents with the extreme winter weather.

Jeff Yates, Washington County’s public safety director, said a notice had been sent to municipalities to make sure they were aware of the treacherous weather, and the county’s public safety office would assist if any residents had any needs. Some municipalities were, in fact, planning on establishing warming centers. One example is Charleroi, where the volunteer fire department on Fallowfield Avenue was set to be a warming center from Tuesday through Friday.

“We’re there with open arms to help (residents),” said Glenn Shipley, Charleroi’s emergency management coordinator.

Other locations throughout Washington County that were being established as warming centers for seniors included the Beth-Center Senior Center in Vestaburg; Center in the Woods in Brownsville; Burgettstown Senior Center; Canonsburg Senior Center; Bentleyville Senior Center; McGuffey Senior Center in Claysville; the McDonald-Cecil Senior Center in Cecil; the Washington Area Senior Center; the Cross Creek Senior Center in Avella; the Monongahela Senior Center; Riverside Place in Charleroi; and the Donora Senior Center.

Tim Landrin, who directs long-term care for Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging, explained that care managers would be checking on residents who might experience problems during the cold snap.

“Anyone we’re providing home-care services for, our people will be checking on to make sure they’re warm and safe,” Landrin said. “That’s always a part of our procedure.”

The agency receives emergency calls more frequently when extreme weather breaks out, according to Marie Christinis, the protective services supervisor for the Area Agency on Aging. The agency may even temporarily relocate a client whose furnace breaks down during cold weather.

On Tuesday, the agency was already fielding calls from residents who needed home heating fuel.

At City Mission, the warming center will be expanding its hours from 6 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Along with providing warmth and meals, visitors can get hats, gloves and scarves. Once the warming center closes, visitors will be able to transition to the cold-weather shelter for the night. Cots will be set up for men in City Mission’s dining hall, and women will be staying in the chapel.

Meanwhile, in Greene County, the Homeless Assistance Program was helping residents with home heating assistance, and the Greene County United Way planned on offering a warming shelter at the fairgrounds in Waynesburg.

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