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Faith leaders and volunteers urge approval, emphasize immediate safety needs
Summary
Several faith leaders and volunteers, including Saint Mark's pastor and community meal organizers, spoke in favor of the warming center, describing prior outreach, meals and the danger of people sleeping outdoors in winter.
Clergy and volunteers described firsthand experience serving people who are unsheltered and urged the commission to weigh immediate life-safety concerns. Pastor Eric Heinrich of Saint Mark's and a number of volunteers recounted outreach and meal programs and appealed to the commission's sense of compassion: "We are talking about human beings," the pastor said, describing the work of the congregation and the lack of alternate sites.
Supporters said the warming center is temporary and seasonal, pointed to prior winters of small-scale operation, and noted that church and nonprofit partners would provide staffing and services. Several speakers asked the commission to consider site-specific mitigations rather than denying services outright.
