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Princeton honors volunteer-run warming center that sheltered 14 people this winter
Summary
The Princeton City Council recognized volunteers and partner organizations for running a volunteer-led warming center that operated nights from Jan. 8 to March 9 and kept 14 unhoused people safe through the cold months.
The Princeton City Council on March 7 recognized a volunteer-led warming center and the community organizations that ran it, thanking more than 50 volunteers who staffed overnight shifts this winter.
Chief Tom Cameron of the Princeton Police Department told the council the warming center was created through partnerships with the Princeton Ministerial Association, Tri-County Opportunities Council and a local organization identified in the meeting as Iruka. "The homelessness has unfortunately become a growing issue in rural communities. Our community is no different," Cameron said, summarizing the effort and naming the partners who helped operate the site.
The warming center operated nightly from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. between Jan. 8 and March 9, the council heard. According to Cameron, 51 community volunteers covered shifts and the effort provided services including shelter, food, showers and laundry. Cameron said volunteers kept 14 individuals warm and safe during the coldest months.
The council singled out Tammy Langston for coordinating scheduling, cleaning and data collection. Cameron said Tammy "worked all hours of the day and night" to maintain operations; the transcript also recorded that Tammy and her husband, Mitch, covered many shifts and that Tammy's employer, Midland States Bank, supported her participation. The council presented a certificate and floral arrangement, and Mayor Raymond Mabry and Chief Cameron said they would deliver them to Tammy on behalf of the city.
Council members applauded the coalition of volunteers and the ministerial association for recruiting and scheduling volunteers, and noted Tri-County Opportunities Council contributed volunteers and resources. The council and presenters described the warming center as a simple room with cots spaced about six feet apart with bedding and basic supports; an interim "living room" site (identified in the meeting as the Iruka living room) served as a daytime resource before the overnight site opened.
The mayor and chief emphasized the role of trained staff and volunteers with lived experience who connected guests to additional services, and the council thanked Carol Alcorn from PADS in Peru for long-term work addressing homelessness in the region. No formal council action or funding change was recorded during the recognition.
The presentation closed with the council encouraging continued community partnership to support unhoused residents through the remainder of the season.
