Stevenson Warming Shelter offers respite from the cold
By Philip L. Watness, The Skamania County Pioneer, January 27, 2021
Photo by Anton Kraev on Unsplash
Like many other parts of the United States, Skamania County has seen a surge in homelessness.
The bitter cold of winter means people without shelter are more prone to seasonal maladies like influenza but the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation for many folks.
Washington Gorge Action Programs’ (WAGAP) mission is “Strengthening community by inspiring hope and helping people help themselves.” Alleviating homelessness fits well into the non-profit agency’s efforts.
So, when winter bore down on the Columbia River Gorge, WAGAP scurried to provide a warming shelter in Stevenson.
People can now find respite from the cold at the Stevenson Warming Shelter, located next to the Hegewald Rock Creek Center. The novel coronavirus added a layer of complexity to offering the help, but on Monday, Dec. 21, the shelter opened on a first-come, first-serve basis.
WAGAP had hoped to open the shelter a year ago, but time drifted away, so the effort was put on hold until this winter.
“We definitely didn’t want anybody to be out on the streets for Christmas,” said Curt Gray, manager of WAGAP Skamania County Housing Programs. “And the weather could turn bad at any time.”
The unusually mild winter temperatures of recent weeks hasn’t prompted much demand for the shelter’s services, Gray said the facility stands at the ready should temperatures dip in the coming weeks.
Those who need shelter from the cold need to arrive between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Shelter staff take their body temperature and provide a COVID-19 rapid test before allowed beyond the reception area. They must wear masks indoors. Anyone who doesn’t comply will be out in the cold.
“We check for symptoms and we ask them how they are feeling,” he said. “The very next thing we do is the COVID test. We’re not an official lab, but we have a test similar to the regular ones that take three or four days to get a result. It doesn’t tell them whether they have the disease, but it tells us that the have enough COVID antigens on board to be contagious.”
The results are known within 15 minutes.
“That way, we know when people come in whether they have a problem or not,” he said. “If they do test positive, then we know we have to be careful around them, and we put them in our sick room that is set aside just for that.”
Staff also tests themselves every day.
Gray said the procedure ensures that neither staff nor clients are at risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19.
“Everybody wears a mask but the hairs on your neck go down when you know you’ve tested them and they’re not carry a danger level of the virus,” he said.
While waiting for the test result, people can enjoy a cup of tea, noodle soup or bouillon to ease their chilled bones.
“They get some calories and some fluids and some warmth in their bellies,” he said.
When an egg timer signals that 15 minutes have passed, staff checks the test results. People can sip on the hot beverages while they wait on chairs that are separated by six feet.
The facility doesn’t cook food, other than in a microwave, which is located in the staff area and off-limits to guests. That limits the potential for spreading COVID-19 among the folks using the warming shelter. Food and beverages can be stored in the refrigerator/freezer.
Medications or “other drugs” are locked up for the night, including illegal drugs which they might bring with them. Weapons are also stored in the lock boxes overnight.
“If they don’t declare they have a weapon and we find it, then they’re out,” Gray said.
The facility has four rooms, one of which can be used for a family with several members.
“So far, it’s mostly single people that we see, but if somebody is already cohabitating, we can put them in one room,” Gray said. “One room is specifically set aside for groups, like a family with children.”
Toiletries are provided to each person which they can take with them.
“They get a kit of razor blades, shaving cream, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, bar soap, for females, feminine hygiene products, lotion for their skin, and powder for their feet,” Gray said. “If they want to come back the next night, they don’t have to schlep all this stuff with them. We can store it for them.”
A towel and washcloth is provided so they can take a shower in the common bathroom. Staff workers clean the bathroom with a viricide after each use and again when their guests leave the following morning.
Each room is outfitted with a bed with pillow, yoga mat and sleeping bag.
“The folks remain in their rooms for the night and leave the facility at 7 a.m. They cannot leave and return after being admitted.
Gray said the warming shelter has not been more than half full on any given night but he attributes that to the mild temperatures so far this year.
All guests but one have conformed to the rules of the shelter.
“We had one individual who was belligerent,” he said. “Being belligerent wouldn’t have kept them out but they wouldn’t give us their name and wouldn’t allow us to test them (for COVID-19), so we couldn’t bring them in. Unless you’re willing to do the testing and make sure that you’re not jeopardizing the health of others, you can’t stay here.”
Gray said the facility hasn’t had to turn anyone away for being inebriated or carrying an illegal drug, but he said the staff would call him to address any such situation.
“If they’re clearly drunk, that would probably be a situation in which I would have to call the Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “If they’re so severely under the influence, they’re not going to be able to comply with our rules, and they could be a danger to others. We haven’t had that happen. I’m hoping that doesn’t every happen but it’s a safety issue at that point.”
Staff is on duty Friday night through Tuesday nights and on standby Wednesday and Thursday nights after 8 p.m. The shelter’s emergency hotline is staffed seven nights a week from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at (509) 281-1129.
The Community Foundation of Southwest Washington provided a $21,000 grant supplemented by other grant funds through WAGAP. The building is leased for free from Skamania County. The City of Stevenson pitch in $10,000 of CARES Act funds which was used to purchase sleeping bags, cots, food, and masks. Local churches were also a big help to the effort.
The warming shelter will remain available until mid-March, depending on the weather, and could open longer should sub-freezing temperatures or wet and windy weather occur this spring.
Volunteers are needed to staff the shelter. People should contact Jessica Van Leuven at jessica@wagap.org or Curt Gray at curt@wagap.org.
Information about the warming shelter can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/wagap.org/posts/1951358271672423 (English language) and https://www.facebook.com/wagap.org/posts/1951924911615759 (Spanish).
For more information, call the WAGAP Stevenson office at 509-427-8229.