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Volunteers, church and police coordinate warming center at UU Church as cold-weather gap-filler
Summary
Councilors praised a new overnight warming center run at the Universalist Unitarian Church that has been open on very cold nights, serving an average 20–22 people nightly, funded by donations and on-site private security; staff and service partners continue to coordinate on sheltering and outreach.
Councilor Devin Ferreira updated the Haverhill City Council on an overnight warming center hosted by the Universalist Unitarian (UU) Church that has opened on nights when temperatures are forecast to drop below 25 degrees to provide a safe, warm space for people who are unhoused or under-housed.
Ferreira said the warming center operates from about 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. on qualifying nights and reported an average nightly attendance of 20 to 22 people. She said the space is set up as a “dining room format” rather than a shelter with cots and that volunteers staff three shifts each night so guests can “come and go as they please.” Ferreira noted the church is currently paying for a private security guard each night and that the initiative has received donations from local groups including the Rotary, Exchange Club and Pentucket Bank.
Mayor Melinda E. Barrett and city staff described existing shelter resources and the limits on the city-run Citizen Center. Barrett said the Citizen Center is intended for displaced residents (for example, fire victims or power outages) and is not staffed or budgeted to operate nightly as a drop-in warming shelter. Barrett said Emmaus’s Mitch’s Place expands capacity during cold weather and that police and service providers conduct regular outreach to known outdoor congregating sites.
Andrew Herlihy of the Community Development office said the city participates in a regular “unsheltered” meeting led by Emmaus and joined by Community Action, the police department and other partners. He told the council the city and its partners track individual cases, coordinate shelter placement when possible and have placed dozens of people into housing in the past year. Herlihy confirmed there is not currently public funding directly paying for operations at the UU warming center, although he said organizers hope to apply for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds or other grants if the program continues.
Councilors who visited the site described mostly calm nights with minimal disruptive behavior and expressed praise for Ferreira and volunteer teams. Several councilors asked about the population the warming center serves: Ferreira and staff explained that some people who are unhoused do not use traditional shelters—for reasons including sobriety rules, past incidents, or criminal records—and that the UU warming center offers lower-barrier access.
The council discussion also noted practical benefits: the police department reported fewer people waiting in station lobbies on cold nights when the warming center is open, and staff said the site’s availability improved the efficiency of the point-in-time unsheltered count because many outdoor individuals were present in a single place for outreach.
Ferreira provided operational details for volunteers and donors: the church’s website (uuhaverhill.org) has a donate link where contributors can designate “warming center”; volunteers can contact Ferreira directly to sign up. The council did not take formal action on the warming-center report but several members encouraged organizers to pursue funding options.
Ending: Councilors commended the UU Church, organizers and volunteers for quickly standing up the warming center and urged continued coordination with Emmaus, Community Action and police; staff indicated the city will consider grant options if the operation continues.
