ST. LOUIS – Two organizations have teamed up and purchased a school bus as a warming center for those without a home.
“People can come down here to 14th and Chestnut from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., get on the bus to warm up, or have us take them to shelter,” Aundra Woumans said.
Winter Outreach and Urban City Services made it possible with a grant to purchase the bus from Gateway 180 Homeless Services.
“In years past, the city has had a warming bus that we would then shuttle people to our shelters. They canceled that a few years ago. So we went ahead and bought our own and do it ourselves,” Woumans said.
From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., volunteers continue their outreach, searching for individuals who could not make it downtown.
“We go out in teams. We load up our cars, and we meet at AmeriCorp in Soulard. We pair up, and each car goes to a different section of the city. So we break it up like Soulard, Midtown, and Downtown. We cover most of the city as we can,” Woumans added.
Sunday night, volunteers used their personal vehicles to help at least 20 people keep warm or find shelter. By Monday night, the warming bus was in operation, and organizations transported people to Calvary, a local shelter. At least 20 people utilized the bus for warmth or transportation to safety.
Around 700 people experiencing homelessness die from cold exposure in the United States every year. Unhoused citizens told FOX 2 off camera how grateful they are for this service.
Winter Outreach is also working on opening additional shelters across St. Louis.
This warming station will be out at 14th Street and Chestnut every time the temperature drops below 25 degrees.