Monticello, NY – Sullivan County will be opening its two warming centers this week in Liberty and Monticello (note the location change from last year):
- United Methodist Church, 170 North Main Street, Liberty, opening 11/24 (Friday)
- St. John’s Episcopal Church, 15 St. John Street, Monticello, opening 11/22 (today)
These facilities will remain open to anyone from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. every night through Saturday, April 15, 2024.
“While last winter was relatively mild, we still had significant usage of both shelters,” noted Sullivan County Health & Human Services Commissioner John Liddle. “Almost 150 people used the Liberty shelter, for a total of close to 1,000 stays since it opened last November. Monticello opened in December and served 123 people, for just under 500 stays overall. Because of a sharp increase in evictions in recent months and a shortage of affordable and supportive housing inventory, we expect utilization to be higher this winter. Fortunately, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) supported our requests for additional funding to expand our operations this year.”
Warming centers in Sullivan County exist to protect unsheltered individuals and families from the cold of the winter. Warming center staff are experienced and trained in working with people who have complex and severe service needs. These locations offer people more than a place to sleep, and human service providers from across the County chip in to help those in need gain access to medical care and other social service benefits.
Warming centers also give the vulnerable a place where they can feel safe. The Liberty warming center is directly across the street from the Village of Liberty police station, and additional funding granted by OTDA this year will provide onsite security at the Monticello warming center.
Deputy Social Services Commissioner Giselle Steketee added, “We’re very fortunate to have such strong community partners. The team at the New Beginnings Community Worship Center and United Methodist Church have been exceptionally reliable and supportive as we’ve expanded our services in Liberty. We greatly appreciate St. John’s Episcopal Church stepping up to help this year in Monticello as the Ted Stroebele Center gets the renovations it needs to serve the Monticello community for years to come, and we can’t thank enough Kathy Kreiter and the Federation for the Homeless for stepping up once again to provide life-saving services to those in need.”