Catholic Charities: Rochester warming center sees sharp rise in use, faces $170,000 funding shortfall

Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota told the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday that use of the Rochester Community Warming Center has increased substantially since the program opened in December 2019 and that funding gaps threaten an overflow site that keeps people from being turned away on cold nights.

The warming center’s executive director, John Myers, and shelter director Rudy Nall gave the update during the board’s informational items. They said the shelter was intended as a seasonal resource in 2019, expanded capacity in November 2020, and now routinely serves 75–80 people a night, with some nights approaching 90.

The growth matters because Catholic Charities runs the warming center as an emergency shelter and depends on state grants and donations to fill operating costs. “This year, the donation we need to raise is around 170,000 to cover those 2 warming centers and the day center,” John Myers said, describing the shortfall that covers multiple programs. Rudy Nall warned that if overflow funding is exhausted, the program could lose the Salvation Army overflow site that shelters an additional 20–30 people each night.

The warming center expansion in 2020 more than doubled sleeping space and added a separate area for female guests, the presenters said. Nall described that the women’s sleep area, separate bathrooms and showers were important for people fleeing domestic violence or who would not otherwise use a mixed dormitory. He said female occupancy has grown to about 15–19 per night from an initial handful.

Catholic Charities staff listed services available at the warming center: intake, meals, showers, laundry, storage lockers, fellowship and connections to caseworkers. The nonprofit also staffs an overflow site at the Salvation Army’s social services building; Nall said the overflow runs from about 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and has reduced the number of people the warming center must turn away.

The presenters described partnerships intended to move people from emergency shelter to longer-term help. County social workers and the housing stability team operate an Echo Center office next to the warming center; Catholic Charities said that proximity makes morning referrals easier and improves connections to case management, treatment and housing resources.

Board members asked how the warming center handles behavior issues and whether anyone had been turned away this cold season. Nall said the center has been reluctant to turn people away; the only people who were excluded were those under valid trespass restrictions, and staff have begun a process of “second chance” engagement and written agreements to allow some guests back after demonstrating changed behavior. Commissioners thanked staff for the partnership and volunteer opportunities; Catholic Charities said it is rebuilding volunteer capacity to help cover hours and costs.

The presenters emphasized that the warming center is intended as an “emergency room” for housing — a short-term response while partners work to move people into transitional or permanent housing — and that the nonprofit does not intend to expand into a large long-term shelter. They said capacity constraints, an aging shelter population with mobility needs, and the rising number of female guests are among operational challenges.

Catholic Charities concluded by asking the board and community partners to help sustain overflow funding and to consider ways to consolidate shelter space to reduce duplicate staffing and costs. Commissioners expressed gratitude and urged continued coordination with the Any Path Home initiative and other housing partners.

Ending: The county meeting’s presenters said the warming center prevents people from sleeping outdoors on cold nights and linked ongoing shelter demand to broader housing and service needs; Catholic Charities requested help sustaining the overflow site and said the organization will continue to pursue case management and housing-placement partnerships.