Monroe Cold Weather Shelter struggling to keep doors open

With winter’s formal arrival this week, Monroe’s Cold Weather Shelter is seeking support to ensure it’s able to continue serving the homeless community.

Located inside the New Hope Fellowship church on West Main Street, the Monroe Cold Weather Shelter is open 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. any time temperatures dip below 32 degrees. It typically operates from Nov. 15 through March 15, but with the current funding shortfalls it is unclear whether the shelter can remain in operation throughout the season. As of Saturday, Dec. 17, the shelter had been open a total of 12 days this season, with only enough funding for five more.

New director Kim Gee is working to generate community support. The shelter needs supply and monetary donations, as well as volunteers to stay open, she said.  

“The season is looking very cold,” Gee said, “with a projection of many more days being below freezing.”

The shelter is the result of numerous organizations coming together, offering warm bedding, showers, food and companionship. Pets are welcome, as there are crates available.

Snohomish County Fire District 7 provides cots, the Sky Valley Food bank covers food, the YMCA provides laundry services and Take the Next Step acts as the fiscal agent, enabling it to offer tax incentives for donations. 

Community donations provide for items, such as coats, hats, socks, gloves and personal hygiene products.

“Without the support of community members and organizations through donations and grants, we would not be able to stay open,” wrote Gee in a recent letter requesting monetary support. “We use any and every donation to keep our doors open and offer a safe warm place for our community’s homeless and those in need.”

While the shelter is a collaborative community asset, Gee said it relies on its own funding to stay afloat. Many people incorrectly assume the shelter receives funding from Take the Next Step. TTNS allows the shelter to operate under the umbrella of its 501(C)3 nonprofit status and provides accounting services, but not monetary support.

Each dollar donated to the Monroe Cold Weather Shelter is tracked by TTNS and kept in a separate account.

“They support us by doing all our financial paperwork and identifying us on their website, as a means of getting our name and information out to the community,” Gee said.

The shelter costs roughly $180 to operate each night it’s open, which covers one paid site manager and utilities at the church, Gee said. The shelter is typically open 25-35 days a year, with an average yearly operating cost of roughly $6,000.

Gee is new to the directorship, having taken over for former director Amber Mehta this year. A former teacher at Frank Wagner Elementary School, Gee heard about the shelter through Mehta, who was a parent volunteer at the school. She attended a Monroe Cold Weather Shelter board meeting at the end of last year’s winter season, learned Mehta was stepping down and figured it would be a good way to enhance her level of service to the community.

She is working to garner shelter support and increase the number of certified volunteers.

A robust volunteer base is needed to help the shelter remain in operation, Gee said. Nights that the shelter is open are broken up into three separate shifts, which are covered by the site manager and one volunteer. Volunteers are required to complete two training sessions through the Snohomish County Medical Reserve Corps, which is how the shelter is insured.

Volunteer shifts are available 7 p.m. to midnight, midnight to 4 a.m. and 4-8 a.m.

“Our volunteer base is about 30, but of those maybe 12 regularly volunteer,” Gee said. “We can’t open our doors without our volunteers.”

Gee has organized a wish list on Amazon and is encouraging donations. Monetary donations dropped off at TTNS should clearly indicate that they are meant to support the Monroe Cold Weather Shelter.

“Every dollar we receive goes directly to run the shelter and keep the doors open. No committee member or the director is paid a stipend,” Gee wrote to supporters. “It is a volunteer committee working to help the homeless and needy in our community to feel valued and cared for. It is our mission that no person should have to spend a night freezing, hungry, or feeling unwanted.”

For more information about the Monroe Cold Weather Shelter, visit facebook.com/MonroeColdWeatherShelter. To find out how to help, email Gee at themonroecoldweathershelter@gmail.com.