Warming centers across the commonwealth rely on volunteers, donations, and community awareness. Here’s how you can help.
While most of us move through the cold months wrapped in coats and routine, others are simply trying to make it through the night. In that space between comfort and survival stand our warming centers—ordinary rooms made extraordinary by the safety, dignity, and compassion they offer.
For nine years, I’ve talked with the people who keep these centers running. Year after year, the message never changes: They can’t do it alone. The warmth inside doesn’t happen by accident. It’s created by neighbors who show up with a pizza delivery, a pack of new socks, a few spare hours, or even just the willingness to check someone in with a smile.
While I encourage you each to consider how to best support the warming centers in your area, it’s also vital (and free) to help get the word out that they’re open. A shared post, a quick mention, or a forwarded link can be the reason someone finds shelter on a night when the temperature drops lower than they can bear. We’ve included 10 around the commonwealth, though there are plenty more to discover.
City of Alexandria’s Winter Shelter
2355-A Mill Rd, Alexandria
Daily from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Falls Church Homeless Shelter
217 Gordon Rd, Falls Church
Daily from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The Men’s Hope Center
203 West 19th Street, Norfolk
Shelter beds available nightly for men
Weekday services open to men and women from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Chesapeake Area Shelter Team (CAST)
Chesapeake area
Rotating list of local churches and organizations offering overnight stays
Contact sam.cast@abbalist.org for more information
Inclement Weather Shelter
1900 Chamberlayne Ave, Richmond
Daily from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry (PACEM) Cold Weather Shelter
Charlottesville area
Rotating list of local churches and organizations offering overnight stays
Operates two sites nightly—one for men and one for women (nonbinary guests stay where they feel most comfortable)—from 5:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The Redemption Center Church (TRCC) Warming Center
625 Shelton St, Danville
Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MHC Warming Center
603 Memorial Blvd, Martinsville
Open 7 p.m to 9 a.m. in temperatures below 40 degrees
The Rescue Mission Emergency Shelter
402 Fourth Street SE, Roanoke
Daily from 3 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Sheltering Arms of Franklin County
5185 Callaway Rd, Rocky Mount
Open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in temperatures below 45 degrees
