The Gathering Place – Cold Weather Emergency Shelter

On Nov. 1, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas undertook a leadership role at Wesley House, the long-time outreach mission established by the First United Methodist Church of Pittsburg to help meet the needs of low-income families in the area.

What we quickly learned is in Pittsburg tonight, there are many without options to come inside away from the cold, and that wintertime becomes a deadly crisis for those without shelter.  

Believing that working together makes us stronger, we are asking your help to create The Gathering Place, a 90-day emergency overnight shelter to operate each night through March 15th. It costs approximately $35 per day to shelter and feed one person, and we need to raise at least $50,000 to cover costs in the coming weeks. 

We have already begun the process by meeting with city officials, implementing improvements to the facility to safely provide overnight residency, and hiring appropriate individuals to staff the overnight hours.

Our homeless community require our compassion, warmth and a link with humanity. We know The Gathering Place is not a permanent solution for those without housing, but an urgent first-step in a larger conversation we must all have, so that nobody sleeps outside.