City Mission opens warming center

FINDLAY — City Mission of Findlay opened a warming center Friday, which will provide a hot bowl of soup, a supervised environment and warm place to sleep for those needing shelter. The warming center is now open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. every day at the City Mission, located at 510 W. Main Cross St. in Findlay. It will continue to operate through the winter months. Guests at the warming center will be breathalyzed before entering and cannot be under the influence of alcohol, and must agree to follow the center's rules. Advocates will be available to provide information about longer-term shelter services. In December, the warming center will transition into a newly built and staffed Low Barrier Shelter. This new shelter is set to operate 365 days a year, with funding from The Community Foundation of Hancock County and an ADAMHS Board contract. The Low Barrier Shelter is aimed at helping people currently living on the streets, in the woods, in cars and those who do not qualify for other sheltering services. In addition to beds, the new shelter is to feature active advocacy services, peer support, referral services and clinical mental health services in partnership with Family Resource Center of Northwest Ohio. "We will continue to look for the needs of those in our community and to offer services that benefit the homeless, the hungry, the hurting, as well as the community of Findlay and Hancock County," said Executive Director Kathryn Bausman. City Mission of Findlay can be reached at 419-423-9151, ext. 113, for additional information regarding the warming center and opening of the Low Barrier Shelter.