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Eureka staff outline how winter warming center opens, who it serves and why locations are kept private
Summary
City staff described the winter warming center's criteria, volunteer-driven operations and partner network, saying openings depend on forecast thresholds, staffing and site availability; the program served 65 guests in a recent three-night activation.
Jacob Rosen, the city's project managing mental health clinician, told the City Council on Dec. 3 that Eureka's winter warming center (referred to in staff materials as the Ewok or "E Walk") has moved from an emergency, ad-hoc response to an organized, documented program supported by volunteers and partner agencies.
Rosen said the first rapid activation came in winter 2022'23 after several weather-related deaths in the county. That early, seven-day turnaround relied on Lifehouse Church and Pastor Willie Bowles to provide a site and volunteers. "It wouldn't have happened without our partnership with Lifehouse Church," he said. Rosen credited subsequent partners including Faith Center and Betty Chin, Redwood Coast Teen Challenge and nonprofit transport providers for helping scale the response.
Staff provided recent operational figures as evidence of the program's continued use. For a November storm that triggered a three-night…
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