Wooster's Severe Weather Shelter

Wooster’s Severe Weather Shelter has wrapped up another successful season having been open 76 nights during the coldest temperatures. This winter, we served 111 different individuals and provided dinner and a safe, dry place to sleep averaging 16.5 guests per night.

This Severe Weather Shelter was, literally, the only place to turn in Wooster this past December 23 and 24 for anyone without adequate heat as wind chills bottomed out at negative 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kudos and grateful thanks go out to the many community members and organizations that came together to support this project. Housed temporarily in the Wooster Salvation Army gymnasium, the project is supported by generous donations from several organizations but mostly through private, individual donations from people like you who give targeted donations through the United Way of Wayne and Holmes Counties. The United Way, with Executive Director, Katie Koglman at the helm, acts as fiscal agent by collecting and managing the funds, 1099 payroll administration for overnight staff, and expense reimbursements. 

Krista Kidney, until recently Chair of the Wayne County Housing Coalition and an original founder of the project, again provided management oversight along with Salvation Army Majors Tom and Vicki Clark.

For the second year, Wooster Homelessness Task Force member Wyn Jones recruited and managed over 50 community and College of Wooster student volunteers to staff the center and wash shelter linens. Task Force member Janet Burkhart again recruited and managed at least 11 area churches, numerous individuals, and organizations such as the Women’s Service Club of Wayne County, who all generously provided homemade dinners each night for hungry shelter guests.

The story of this shelter’s success reaches throughout our community as various religious and civic groups were inspired to contribute either funds or goods to the cause.

Wooster’s AAUW (American Association of University Women) chose the Severe Weather Shelter as the focus of their annual Christmas holiday event by amassing and donating hundreds of personal toiletry items, warm socks, gloves, long underwear and much more for the guests at the shelter.

Equally impressive, College of Wooster student members of the Wooster Volunteer Network (WVN) held a craft night and made dozens of exceptionally warm, double layer fleece blankets for shelter guests and others in our unsheltered population. C.O.W. students also conducted a clothing drive for shelter guests in need.

Wooster’s Trinity United Church of Christ hosted the Alternative Gift Market in December with gifts sourced from communities worldwide. With entertainment by professional pianist Tom Lugoloobi, donations for the Severe Weather Shelter collected at that market brought in nearly $800.

A group of friends and neighbors went caroling door-to-door in Wooster at Christmastime gathering donations in excess of $1,000 as they sang through the neighborhoods.

Even local artists contributed their talents to an art auction generously hosted by Wooster resident Traci Hanger-Hoffman at her home last year. Local artists displayed their creations in various forms and mediums donating 20% of the auction proceeds to Wooster’s Severe Weather Shelter. 

Finally, producing the single largest donation from a city, religious or civic organization in 2023, the generous congregation of Wooster’s Zion Lutheran Church raised over $3,000.00 in support of this warming shelter.

So again, a heartfelt thanks goes out from the Wooster Homelessness Task Force, the Wayne County Housing Coalition and other contributing agencies, to all of the many volunteers, overnight staff and groups who gave so much of themselves, their time and generous financial support to make this Severe Weather Shelter a reality again this past winter.

And we never stop fundraising. Costs go up every year. Please donate to our community warming shelter and keep it going by sending a check made out to United Way of Wayne/Holmes, 215 S. Walnut St. Wooster, Ohio 44691 and writing “Severe Weather Shelter” on the memo line. A donation of $200 will keep up to 26 of our unsheltered guests warm and fed for an entire night.

In addition to a check, concerned citizens can paste this link into their browser to donate: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/united-way-of-wayne-and-holmes-counties-inc/basic-needs?ref=45ce99a0-47ab-46f9-aa4a-0c7a2ee8e8e2.

Wyn Jones

Volunteer Coordinator

Wooster Homelessness Task Force