Volunteers say Springfield warming center kept people alive during severe winter; commissioners urge planning

Ken Baron Selig, a local pastor who runs a street ministry tied to Liberty Disaster Relief, told the Springfield City Commission on the work-session agenda that he and volunteers opened a warming center on Dec. 2 and kept it operating for 90 days this winter.

“The most important number that I'm gonna say here tonight is 0,” Ken Baron Selig said, referring to the number of people who died of exposure in Springfield while the center operated. “Because of that warming center, the volunteers ... 0 people died of exposure in spring.”

Selig said the center operated from a gymnasium loaned by Victory Bay at 424 North Fountain and that his wife and volunteers initially funded the operation. He described the effort as “organic,” open to anyone who said they were hungry or cold, and limited inside only by a single rule: “Be nice.” He estimated the center served as many as 60 people on some nights and said staff and volunteers remained onsite for extended stretches — he said he stayed at the facility for 45 days straight before falling ill with pneumonia.

The nut graf: Organizers credited volunteers, informal partnerships and rapid referrals to treatment providers with preventing deaths this winter, while commissioners used the presentation to press for more formal planning, clearer partnerships, and expanded case management ahead of future cold weather.

Commissioner Housen thanked Selig and asked what he saw as the leading causes of homelessness in Springfield. Selig replied that case management and mental-health services were the largest gaps, and he said many people fall into homelessness for mixed reasons, including addiction, mental illness and financial shocks. “We truly need to consider a mental health facility where people can get on the medications that they need,” he said.

Commissioner Brown asked about the city’s role next winter and what Selig would request from municipal leaders. Selig asked for sustained, practical coordination rather than repeated roundtables: “I need things just like we're doing here right now. We need to have conversation, and we need to have real conversation,” he said, adding he has plans and is looking for partners and land donors to develop more permanent solutions.

On safety, Selig described how volunteers separated families and found hotel rooms when the single-room gym set-up was not appropriate. He said security largely came from volunteer “big burly bikers” and that the Springfield Police Division responded quickly when called, describing the average police response as “well under 5” minutes in situations the volunteers judged to require law-enforcement help.

Selig said the center referred people to drug- and alcohol-treatment providers, reporting that 58 people entered treatment during the 90-day operation, eight former guests left to become missionaries, and he described multiple individual success stories. He also said at least once volunteers coordinated emergency medical transport when a guest was critically injured and that volunteers worked with a trauma nurse to get the person to a hospital.

Commissioners praised the volunteer effort and emphasized the need for city-staff coordination, clearer shelter planning for families, and stronger casework systems. The mayor noted the city is in close contact with federal and state representatives on immigration and other policy matters and encouraged Selig to share his PowerPoint and plans with staff.

Ending: Commissioners concluded the discussion by thanking Selig and the volunteers for the winter response and encouraging continued planning before next winter. Selig said he will provide the commission with additional materials and proposed next steps when his presentation materials are available.