Catholic Charities of Chenango County opened the doors to a facility located at 1 O’Hara Drive. The site has 15 beds available each night of the week and serves as a safe, warm place for unhoused people to rest from 5:00 pm to 8:30 am. This service is especially crucial given current sub zero temperatures. (Submitted images)

By Sophia Root,

Commerce Chenango

NORWICH - Last Monday, Catholic Charities of Chenango County opened the doors to a facility five times larger than their previous warming center, a move that reflects both growing need and growing community commitment.

The center, located at 1 O’Hara Drive, has 15 beds available each night of the week and serves as a safe, warm place for unhoused people to rest from 5:00 pm to 8:30 am. This service is especially crucial given current sub zero temperatures.

Located a short distance from downtown Norwich, the center is in an ideal location and is ripe for expansion. Catholic Charities of Chenango County has plans to develop the warming shelter to the W.R.A.P. (Warming Recovery and Assistance) Center, a complete and holistic approach to homeless services.

Tyler Oliver, Director of Economic Development at Commerce Chenango states, “We have had several conversations with local businesses and community leaders about how best to support those facing current housing challenges. Addressing an issue of this scale requires collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders. We are fortunate to have key partners working together to identify the right path forward.”

He continued, “This is a true grassroots response to a national crisis, and it speaks volumes about the kind of community we are.”

Commerce Chenango has hosted many discussions on homelessness, including the visible presence of unhoused individuals, concern from local businesses and residents, and the need for dignified solutions.

Catholic Charities of Chenango County has been engaged since the beginning, leading to the opening of the warming shelter in its original location on Mechanic Street. Though a temporary solution, this reduced foot traffic at night and gave Catholic Charities a space to build rapport with this population.

Guests checking in to the warming center will find secure storage solutions, beds and linens, and skilled staff. The center is low-barrier, meaning it is non-intrusive and non-judgmental. Their main goal is to provide a safe, warm place to sleep, and to build rapport with guests.

Savannah Collins, a warming center employee states, “We let the guests choose where to sleep, giving the same respect you would expect.” Once this connection is established, Collins says, “It becomes easier and more natural to recommend services, instead of pressuring them to enroll.”

Once the building on O’Hara drive came up for sale, Catholic Charities identified it as a potential permanent location for a warming center, and much more. According to Jeff Chesebro, Director of Operations at Catholic Charities of Chenango County, the needs of the local unhoused community outweigh the resources available to them.

He states, “We were always looking for a way to expand services and resources into the daytime hours, and to provide an option that is not utilizing publicly owned space.”

From this idea came the W.R.A.P. Center. Chesebro states, “Commerce Chenango helped with our efforts to negotiate with the property owner, we were able to land on a reasonable price. Then came the challenge of how to pay for it.”

The organization applied for New York State Opioid Settlement Funding, which is not necessarily designed to support capital requests. However, after researching the grant, they found that this project did meet the criteria of capital funding, since the services provided there align with the wraparound support services this grant is funding.

Catholic Charities plans to offer space within the W.R.A.P. Center to community partners, including substance use providers, the behavioral health clinic, and peers at public health. This space will be used for recovery services while simultaneously offering all the housing support guests may need. Chesebro claims that often, people have multifaceted social issues that perpetuate their unhoused status. He states, “It is our approach to wrap these services around them and address all these social issues at once.”

Catholic Charities is making progress with this approach. So far, their warming center has helped 147 individuals, 54 of whom have found permanent housing and 38 of whom have entered inpatient drug treatment. They have also made 480 referrals to local resources.

Commerce Chenango is proud of this success. Economic Development Director Oliver states, “Our region needs housing at every level, from affordable workforce housing to executive-style homes, and addressing this crisis requires action on all fronts. While our role in this initiative was small, we are fortunate to have Catholic Charities taking on such an essential role in serving our most vulnerable residents. This effort is one piece of a broader strategy to revitalize our area and represents a significant step forward for Norwich and the surrounding communities.”

The Warming Center has also attracted community support, energizing providers and community members. Catholic Charities has perceived an increase in understanding and desire to self-educate. Chesebro states, “People have listened, observed and learned of the challenges the unhoused face, and the best way to help them. We are seeing minimized aggression and maximized support.”

Collins adds, “The warming center is thawing people out.”

To learn more about Catholic Charities of Chenango County and to stay up to date with the eventual W.R.A.P. Center, visit their Facebook page. The center is seeking volunteers and donations. If you would like to get involved stop by their office or call 607-334-8244.