Dec 25, 2015 2 min read

People in need will now have a warm place to stay on frigid nights in Greene County.

The number of organizations, including Greene County Human Services, Greene County United Way, Greater Waynesburg Christian Outreach, Salvation Army, and individuals are working on the “Greene County Warm Nights – 20° and Below” initiative to create free overnight shelters on cold winter nights.

“We simply want to provide a warm, safe place for people to sleep who find themselves homeless or unable to afford heat for their homes this winter,” Greene County United Way Director Barb Wise said.

There will be four or five “Warm Nights” sites across the Waynesburg area, each open for two weeks at a time in January and February. The sites already selected are Greene Community Church, West Sides and Greene County Fairgrounds. Each site will be staffed by trained volunteers.

One of the sites will be open from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. any night the temperature drops below 20 degrees. All participants must call the SPHS crisis line at 800-417-9460 or dial 2-1-1 to register by 4 p.m. on the day they need a warm place to sleep. For safety reasons, no walk-ins will be permitted.

The shelters will need volunteers to staff the sites on a night-to-night basis. Volunteers are asked to obtain Act 34 & 35 Pennsylvania State Clearances, as well as attend one of the two-hour training sessions on the role of “Warm Nights” volunteers.

Training sessions are scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. Jan. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan.7 at the West Sides building at 595 W. High St., West Waynesburg. Alternate training may be scheduled as needed.

Anyone interest in volunteering or learning more about the Warm Nights Program can call Wise at 724-255-5975.