In response to the recent Arctic Front that arrived over Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend, Calvary Episcopal Church provided a warm place for those in need.
The church hosted its first Overnight Warming Shelter from 7pm to 7am, so individuals enduring the cold weather overnight had a safe space to seek refuge.
The warming shelter opened its doors Sunday night, extending its services on Monday night, Tuesday night, and Friday night. Cots were donated by the City of Bastrop, and parishioners volunteered their time, staying overnight to assist and support those in need.
Ministry leaders attended Red Cross Shelter Training last fall to prepare for this work. The initiative addresses the gap in services in the county, offering shelter to those facing the challenges of the sub-freezing temperatures.
“Calvary has long been known as a place that serves the community of Bastrop County well, with love, concern and action. And so when we started to get a sense that God might be calling us to provide shelter during very cold weather for folks in need we began discerning what that would look like. We met, we prayed, we studied other models, we talked to various members of the congregation and it became very obvious that in fact this was something that God was calling us to do. It was our honor and privilege to open our doors to anyone who needed a warm, safe place to sleep when the weather was so bitterly cold outside,” said Deacon Amy Moehnke, Calvary’s curate who oversaw the formation of this ministry.
The Overnight Warming Shelter will reopen when the temperature drops below freezing.
