The Universalist Unitarian Church of Haverhill aims to provide a safe and warm space for the unhoused population during spouts of extreme cold—a program praised by city councilors this week for meeting a critical need.
The Kenoza Avenue church unexpectedly took on the warming center task this season, opening it from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., on nights temperatures are forecast to drop below 25 degrees. Haverhill City Councilor Devan M. Ferreira, a center volunteer, told her colleagues the mostly church-financed operation fills a gap.
“Folks are welcome to come and go as they please,” she said. “Some people come in for the whole night, some people come in for a few hours. It’s pretty fluid, but I think it’s serving its purpose which is huge for our city. The church is also footing the bill at this point for a private security company that we’re hiring every night to have on hand just to be a presence there.”
The warming center also meets a nightly need. She explained other parts of the day are covered, for example, by Community Action’s Drop-In Center in the morning and Common Ground Café during the afternoon
The center, in a sense, brings the Universalist Unitarian Church back more than 40 years when Rev. Janet Bowering oversaw a shelter there.
Councilor Ralph T. Basiliere said he observed very ordinary happenings during his six visits.
“A lot of the things that strike me that these folks are doing after the check in are the very same things we would be doing at home, getting our medicines together, getting something to eat, using the bathroom, etc.”
Ferreira said the center had been open 20 nights since Jan. 20, hosting an average of 20 to 22 people every night who either don’t require, or are ineligible for, an emergency shelter such as Emmaus’ Mitch’s Place. Unlike a traditional shelter, Ferreira explained, the center does not provide cots or beds, but rather is set up as a dining room with dinner, snacks and coffee provided.
“We’re just opening the door; we’re opening the door and we’re setting an expectation when you come in of what our rules are. They’re very basic. They’re the same rules that the drop-in center operates under, a lot of those folks access that space, so they already know which has paid dividends for us,” she said. “It’s consistently the bulk of the people we see are the same folks every night, and according to HPD they are the people they would normally see outside throughout the year.”
The church’s expenses have been offset by donations from Pentucket Bank and the Rotary Club of Haverhill, but is seeking additional donations as well as volunteers.
Council President Thomas J. Sullivan and Vice President Timothy J. Jordan both praised the program, and suggested the city could possibly allocate money to sustain the program in future years.