Utah County cities ramp up financial support for warming centers as homeless services needs exceed anticipated demand
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- Mats where homeless residents will sleep lay on the floor of the Utah County Red Building, one of the Utah County warming center sites, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.
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- A sign outside of the Utah County Red Building lists the three sites for Utah County’s warming centers Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.
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- Donations for the Utah County warming centers sit in baskets at the Utah County Red Building on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.
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- This photo taken Aug. 28, 2024, shows the outside of Genesis Project in Provo, one of the three sites set to serve as warming centers for the 2024-2025 winter season.
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- This photo taken Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, shows the outside of Provo Seventh-day Adventist Church, one of the three sites set to serve as warming centers for the 2024-2025 winter season.
As Utah’s weather dips into dangerously cold temperatures, homeless service advocates are making sure the most vulnerable residents have a warm place to sleep at night.
As part of the state-approved Utah County Winter Response Task Force plan, two facilities in Provo and one in unincorporated Utah County take turns serving as warming centers to offer accommodations to the unsheltered population each night of the week through the end of April.
The rotating centers include Genesis Project Provo, Provo Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Utah County Red Building.
The plan calls for each location to house up to 75 people on the nights they are open, though the state only requires each site to accommodate 65 people per night.
Kena Mathews, housing director at Community Action Services and Food Bank in Provo, who also is a member of the task force, said that while the program has gone well, the demand has been higher than expected.
On average, Mathews said, they are seeing between 75 to 80 people per night — but occasionally more people seeking warmth may arrive.
“We had our biggest night last Monday at the Genesis project; we had 95 people come,” Mathews told the Daily Herald.
For the time being, however, she said the task force has opted not to turn people needing the critical resources away.
“We may have to in the future, just because our locations … none of them are greatly huge. But at this point, we’re not turning people away,” Mathews said.
So far, Utah County has picked up the roughly $200,000 tab for maintaining the warming centers. As the program nears the winter’s halfway point, service providers say resources are becoming more limited due to a gap in funding.
The task force has asked municipalities throughout the county to make a voluntary financial contribution of $100 for every 1,000 people in their population.
Several city councils already have agreed to the funding request, including Alpine and Lehi, which voted unanimously on the motion last Tuesday during their respective meetings.
The funds will go toward improved lighting at some of the locations, along with maintenance and upkeep. It’ll also help with securing additional food and supplies, among other needs across the three facilities.
The warming center program also relies heavily on donations to provide essentials such as snacks, personal hygiene products and clean blankets. Items can be dropped off at Community Action Services and Food Bank, located at 815 S. Freedom Blvd. in Provo.
One woman in Spring Lake took notice of the need and has been collecting donations throughout her community and personally delivering them so the items can be used at the warming centers.
Nancy Stucki said she felt inspired to help after speaking with one of the pastors at Provo’s Seventh-day Adventist Church and learning about the lack of shelters for the unhoused in Utah County.
She has been gathering up various items — primarily blankets — then filling her car multiple times a week and taking them to Provo.
While noting the importance of community education and action, she hopes others also will get involved in supporting those who are less fortunate.
“We have to get out of our bubble. If we say we care, then we have to find out what’s needed and do something about it,” Stucki said.
A similar feeling was expressed by Fred Sheehan, a formerly homeless member of the task force who now works for Wasatch Behavioral Health.
He recalls attending movie nights at Genesis Project a few years ago before the warming centers program came into view.
Sheehan said a lot of work has gone into proving that there is a need for such services in Utah County. He hopes to continue breaking the stigma around homelessness.
“You know, the stigma of ‘What’s wrong with that person?’ or ‘Are they an addict?’ or ‘(Are) they a criminal?’ Come and see for yourself,” he said.
He believes the warming centers are making a difference in the community by keeping people safe and warm at night, and ultimately saving lives.
“If there wasn’t something like this, they’d be on the street … moving, or hiding behind something or sleeping somewhere they’re not supposed to be,” Sheehan said.
One of his main roles is street outreach, connecting unsheltered people to available resources with the goal of helping them obtain housing.
Mathews agrees that the program is having a positive impact, as she says more people are seeking out services that they hadn’t before or didn’t know were accessible.
“We are keeping these people warm, alive and safe, and that’s the whole point of what we’re trying to do,” she said.
Volunteers continue to be a dire need at the warming centers to cover an assorted number of shifts. Those interested can visit app.vomo.org.
Willing and able participants also are wanted to help during the state’s upcoming Point-in-Time Count, a census of people experiencing homelessness on a particular night.
The count takes place early in the mornings on Jan. 30, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 from 4-6 a.m. each day.
Interested volunteers can sign up at endutahhomelessness.org/point-in-time-count.
