Lowcountry warming shelters open because to community and volunteer support

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – With temperatures expected to drop below 40 degrees Wednesday night, warming shelters across the Lowcountry are opening their doors to those in need and providing essentials to ensure every person who walks through feels safe and supported.
Holy City Missions at Aldersgate UMC in North Charleston is set to open its doors at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. If it’s 40 or below, the warming shelter will be open, Lori Silvis, vice chair of Holy City Missions, explained.
“They can line up right here at this red gate at 6:00. They will be coming in and getting the clothing that they need,” Silvis said. “They can get a nice warm shower, a warm meal, and a nice cot to sleep in. You’ll get gloves and hats and Chapstick, anything like that that you may need.”
CARTA will also operate free rides to Holy City Missions. However, providing essentials to those in need during these cold winter nights is an all-hands-on-deck mission.
“Volunteers make all of this happen. We do this because we want to be here,” said Silvis.
The 100% volunteer-run non-profit can open its doors with the community’s help. “It takes a lot. We have the kitchen crew, and we have the morning clean-up crew. We have lots of people,” Silvis said. “It takes about 23 volunteers to run up the warming shelter each night.”
Throughout the Lowcountry, volunteers continue to make a difference in the lives of those in need.
In Walterboro, St. Jude’s Church will operate at Walterboro’s warming center on Wednesday night from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.
With the low temperatures expected to continue into next week, Seacoast in Summerville is set to open its doors on Monday, Dec. 8th. The Seacoast in Summerville is the only warming shelter, explained the Local Missions pastor, Chris Pachik.
“Everybody who serves here is literally here to help change somebody’s life,” Pachik said. “Right now, we have 220 volunteers who are cleared and ready to serve. I would say on any given night, it’s probably around 20 to 25 for each night.”
But the mission is never fully finished, as volunteers and donations are always needed, especially during the holiday season.

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