Gastonia City Council on Nov. 6 authorized city funding toward a winter warming center to operate when temperatures drop to 32°F or below, approving an agreement with Advocates for Healthy Citizens Inc., doing business as Health Net Gaston.

Under the contract, Health Net will operate a warming center at Unity Baptist Church (482 N. Myrtle School Road) for the winter season beginning the week of Nov. 23 (the first qualifying night below 32°F) through March 31, 2026. The facility will operate overnight hours, approximately 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the fire marshal–determined occupancy for the selected warming‑center configuration is up to 100 ambulatory guests on a given night; the city and county noted a 365‑day cap policy in the fire code that limits total seasonal days for particular shelter configurations.

The city’s fiscal contribution for the season is $22,644; that figure covers a proportionate share of security, janitorial services and two part‑time positions (an occupant services coordinator to connect guests to services and a volunteer coordinator). City staff said the funding split is a shared cost with Gaston County; the county was described as arranging a separate subrecipient agreement to provide matching or additional funds. Health Net will coordinate donations and volunteers; staff said prepackaged food donations are preferred for safety and logistics, and some transported meals from inspected kitchens (restaurants or providers) are acceptable.

Danette Dye, the city’s director of housing and community engagement, and Crystal Walls of Health Net briefed council on operational details. Council and Health Net representatives said partner agencies, including the sheriff’s office, city police and county resources, would provide supplemental security; Health Net and Unity Baptist will finalize day‑to‑day logistics at a mid‑November operations meeting. Transportation assistance for guests was listed as “pending” and staff said they will provide public notifications via Health Net’s social media, the city and county pages, and direct outreach to service providers and encampments.

Council members asked about family accomodations, intake and wrap‑around services; staff said the occupant services coordinator will handle intakes and referrals to housing and other social services. The center will not provide overnight cots in the warming‑center configuration — the facility is not operating as a full cold‑weather shelter — and guests must be ambulatory to use the warming center.

Why it matters: the warming center provides a formal, city‑backed overnight option for people experiencing homelessness during dangerously cold weather and creates a defined partnership structure for operations, security and volunteer coordination.

What’s next: staff will hold operations coordination meetings, publish volunteer and donation wish lists, and update outreach partners. Gaston County staff are finalizing a separate funding agreement.