‘It takes a village’ local Pastor opens church as overnight warming center encouraging community unity through government shutdown
SCOTT CITY, Mo. (KBSI) – The US government shutdown now on its 35th day could very soon be the longest government shutdown seen in history. While more and more federal organizations lose funding and families face food insecurity this leaves a lot of uncertainty for families. As we head into colder temperatures and the holidays warming centers are starting to prepare.
Warming centers throughout the region are preparing to open their doors. Local providers say this year holds a little more uncertainty, with cuts to things like the SNAP food program and cooling and heating assistance programs. Organizations everywhere prepare for an increased need.
Bob Lenz is the Senior Pastor of Restoration Community Church in Scott City. He shares that they are preparing to open an area of the church as an overnight warming center again this year.
The center will be available throughout the winter when temperature’s reach below 25 degrees with no precipitation and below 32 degrees with precipitation.
“We’re offering heat, a bed and a meal” says Lenz. “I mean, it’s not much to give, and maybe some transportation if somebody can get them here but collectively, it takes a village to do this.”
The facility will be open for men and women who don’t have a safe warm place to sleep on the coldest nights of the year.
“With the shutdown happening, the first word comes to mind is compassion and when the compassion was turned over to the government, now we see kind of where we’re at. Compassion falls, I believe, with the churches. So, when you have 60 plus churches, how can we facilitate getting together?” says Lenz.
The church will be open as an overnight warming center from 7:00 pm through 8:00 am.
When temperatures drop below freezing, sleeping outside could have deadly consequences. Lenz shares that no one deserves to be cold and hungry and that’s what motivates him to open the church each year.
“We always say, if I got 30 people in here, I just fed and kept 30 Jesuses warm” says Lenz. “That’s what we’re supposed to do.”
Pastor Lenz shares that they do not offer transportation to and from their facility and they are unable to keep children because of the inability to run background checks to ensure maximum safety for children. So, he’s calling on other community organizations to assist.
“Is there an organization locally that would be willing to house women with children?”
The facility like many others is ran directly off of donations and volunteers, Lenz shares they always need pillows, nonperishable food items and volunteers for both the facility and rides to and from the facility, Lenz saying that it takes a village, neighbors helping neighbors.
“We are responsible for what we can do and if everybody can take their part, keeping the ‘I’ right, what can I do?” shares Lenz, “including individuals. “We can do much more together instead of thinking about “it’s their responsibility”, it’s all our responsibility.” “The first time somebody freezes to death on a street, or something happens to a woman with her children, then it’s all going to come to the top and everybody’s going to be over excited about it and then we’re going to look back and say, maybe I should have.”
Restoration Community Church of Scott City
