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BELPRE -- Two sites have opened their doors to the public for warming stations due to extreme winter cold in the area.
Both the Belpre Volunteer Fire Department Bingo Hall and St. Paul's United Methodist in Parkersburg, along with some help from other area churches, were open for warm drinks, food and conversation this week while temperatures dropped below freezing.
Belpre's Bingo Hall was open starting Monday, but they haven't had anyone yet, according to volunteers. The hall is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday.
If people get there before or after hours, a sign is posted on the door of the bingo hall with a phone number that they are able to call and a volunteer will be there immediately to let them in. They will also be providing pillows, blankets, and food to those there for the warming station. The volunteers also stressed that the warming station at the Belpre Bingo Hall is not just for Belpre residents, but for anyone in need of the station. St. Paul's UMC opened its warming station on Tuesday of this week and will open up again on Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They will be offering coffee, tea, snacks, games, and conversation for those who are in need.
"One of our members, Missy Plumly, came up with the idea for holding a warming station," said the Rev. Shauna Hyde. "We also had Christ United Methodist and First United Methodist helping out Missy with making sure she had the supplies she needed for the warming station.
"We're blessed by these amazing people. They truly have a heart for the community. They have food pantries and meals for those in need, including Missy's Saturday dinners and Sunday breakfasts."
Plumly chose Tuesday and Friday because they were the two coldest days of the week this week and has been watching the weather ever since for the warming station.
"We see these people a couple times a month at the church, and they're not just hungry, they don't have homes. Anywhere you go around town, you can see that need," Plumly said. "We thought we have this huge church and this big space, so why don't we provide a place for warmth and provide all the necessities they need during this extreme cold." Plumly said that they not only have drinks, snacks, and conversation for those attending the warming station, but they also have blankets and hygiene bags for those that need them.
"We have the basics that they might need, and the youth group is currently crocheting hats for them as well," she said. "We know that they might not have the access to see that we are having this warming station for them, so we are also having signs made to put outside of the church for the foot traffic."