Just Gettin’ Warmed Up!

No longer can it be said that West Sacramento has never had overnight sheltering for its homeless.  The Coalition’s first rotating Winter Warming Centers launched on Dec. 2 with five sites, over a dozen participating churches and over a hundred trained volunteers eager to pour out a new generation of compassion on the city’s most vulnerable.

“This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever been a part of,” said Sonia Fonseca, one of the WWC’s full-time Support Staffers.  “To see all the different churches and different volunteers coming together to care for the less fortunate every night … to sit and hear the stories of people who spend their days having others reject them … to high-five them as they come off the bus and as you greet them by name … it’s hard to put that joy into words.”

Intake teams, welcome teams, meals teams and morning teams from the churches and community have lavished love and service on the guests in an infectious atmosphere.   The number of guests in the first week ranged from 5 to 9 per night, and there is hope and expectation that it will be soon be nearing its pilot capacity of 20 as the weather turns colder and wetter.

By the end of the first week, deep relationships and bonds of trust had begun between guests, staff and volunteers.

“You know, I don’t do shelters,” said one female guest.  “I don’t like ’em.  But I’ve been here every night this week.  This is just different.  It’s amazing.