MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A warming shelter has been proposed in the Morgantown area with the help of Milan Puskar Health Right and the Multidisciplinary UnSheltered Homeless Relief Outreach of Morgantown (MUSHROOM), operated by the West Virginia University School of Medicine.
Jennifer Powell presented the program to Morgantown city councilors on behalf of the Sabra United Methodist Church.
“The location will be the Sabra United Methodist Church; the dates of operation will be December 1, 2023, to March 15, 2024; and the daily hours of operation will be from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.,” Powell said.”
“We are in agreement that we will assist with the fiscal management of this project,” Milan Puskar Health Right Executive Director Laura Jones said. “All of us at Health Right feel strongly that we have to come together to have some kind of shelter for folks this winter.”
People at the facility will have access to programs and services offered through local non-profits, in addition to some medical care offered by MUSHROOM. Milan Puskar Health Right would provide background checks when needed and provide other help or assistance where needed with clients.
“We will provide basic temporary protection from inclement weather through the winter months for 13 hours during the night,” Powell said. “It will not offer a feeding program and will only be offered to adults. Families with children will be referred to the Morgantown RAMP program.”
Powell presented the plan with Jones and urged city leaders to help with the proposal while mentioning the possibility of county support.
“We encourage the city of Morgantown and the Monongalia County Commission to approve this proposal, and we ask for collaboration in this because this is not just a problem of the city’s, the county’s, or any one organization,” Powell said. “It is a problem all of us can find solutions for together.”
The facility will not duplicate services offered at Hazel’s House of Hope, like showers or hot meals, but will offer a comparable level of security.
“Water and snacks will be available as donations permit. The only rooms with access to guests downstairs are the restrooms, and the basement doors lock from the outside and will be emergency exits only,” Powell said.
The presentation was made during the Morgantown City Council Committee of the Whole where no actions are taken. Council members took the proposal under advisement.