‘Truly saving lives’: NC shelters renew call for volunteers, donations as temps plunge
Wake County renewed a call for volunteers and cash donations late Friday afternoon and updated its list of emergency shelters as temperatures plummet.
The Wake Continuum of Care’s “white flag” declaration has now been extended through Tuesday, with a total of 210 beds available for those who don’t have a safe and warm place to stay.
“These shelters are truly saving lives this week,” the Rev. Vance Haywood, chair of the Homeless Emergency Response Committee, said Friday night. “That is nowhere close to an exaggeration.”
WAKE COUNTY
St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church in Raleigh is leading Wake County’s volunteer recruitment with multiple ways to help.
The public can help prepare food and sort donations, typically outside of shelter operating hours, or donate needed items through an Amazon Charity Needs List. Volunteers are also needed to attend to residents’ needs in the shelters.
If you can volunteer for any time through Tuesday night, sign up on St. John’s shelter/volunteer webpage.
Shelters
The following shelters are open from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. every day unless otherwise noted:
- Pullen Memorial Baptist Church — Male shelter (Open as a day warming site from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) 1801 Hillsborough St., Raleigh
- Oak City Cares — Male shelter, 1430 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship — Female shelter, 3313 Wade Ave., Raleigh
- Salvation Army of Wake County — Families with children, 1863 Capital Blvd., Raleigh; 919-834-6733
If you have questions about the shelters, call St. John’s communications center at 919-834-2611, option 5.
DURHAM COUNTY
Durham Rescue Mission
The Durham Rescue Mission’s shelters are open at these locations:
- Men: 1201 E. Main St. Durham. As of Monday, 388 beds were available with an additional 88 mats for emergencies.
- Women & Mothers with children: Good Samaritan Inn at 507 E. Knox St., Durham.
Questions about the shelters can be directed to the organization at 919-688-9641, ext. 5000.
Urban Ministries of Durham
Food and monetary donations are still needed. Donations also can be made to the Food Pantry and Clothing Closet.
UMD especially needs:
- canned fruit, meat, vegetables, pasta, soup, broth
- dried pasta
- mac and cheese
- pasta sauce
- cream of soups
- peanut butter
- cereal
- cake mix
- frosting
- sugar
- cooking oil
- packaged or canned gravy
The Food Pantry and Clothes Closet at 410 Liberty St. in Durham is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. and on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 6:30 p.m.
For questions about donations and volunteering, call 919-682-0538 or go to the website, umdurham.org.
ORANGE COUNTY
The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service in Chapel Hill said Friday its shelters, including an expanded number of cold-weather cots, are full.
“Please do not send people to the front doors of our shelters. Staff will have to turn them away,” the agency said in an email cold-weather update.
The IFC is working with other groups to make more emergency beds available. For information call 919-929-6380. Press ext. 3000 for Community House shelter for men or ext. 4000 for HomeStart shelter for women and families.
The agency needs extra help picking up donations from local grocery stores, sorting food donations, sending vegetables through food processors, preparing foods and wrapping salads, plating meals and cleaning up.
Interested volunteers can contact the IFC’s community engagement director at 919-929-6380 ext. 2026.
This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 9:37 AM with the headline "‘Truly saving lives’: NC shelters renew call for volunteers, donations as temps plunge."