With cold weather settling in, Logan’s only warming center is preparing to open for the season on Nov. 30.
Heather Crockett, executive director at the William A. Burnard Warming Center, said she’s seen the number of visitors steadily increasing each year.
“Our first season we helped around 100 unique individuals," Crockett said. "The second season was 150, and last season was a little bit over 200.”
The center takes in all community members regardless of background or age — though individuals under 18 must be attended by an adult.
Housed at St. John’s Episcopal Church, the center was founded in December 2022 by Nicole Burnard. They named it after their grandfather, whose experience with homelessness had inspired them to take care of their community.
Crockett said that same spirit is what has kept the center running each year.
“The Cache Valley Humanitarian Center has been kind enough to weave some grocery sack mats that act as some bedding," Crockett said. "In addition to the 56 volunteers that it takes to run the center on site, this season we're also having service missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints help us out with our laundry.”
While the center receives a steady flow of donations, Crockett explained it could always use more.
“We have a very generous community community," Crockett said. "Right now we are really low on warm winter coats … that would be fantastic. … From time to time we have run out of a few things, but by and large, the community has stepped up. But it takes a lot, it takes a village in order to make it run.”
She said anyone interested in volunteering can visit wabwarmingcenter.org for more information.
As the warming center plans for its fourth season, Crockett is excited to introduce Celebration Sundays.
“We will ask the community to bring in a commercially prepared dessert for 40 people," Crockett said. "And the point of this is we're going to be doing it once a month …. We're not just going to celebrate birthdays, we're also going to celebrate if someone got into housing, if they got a job, if they are simply still alive here on the planet”
Beginning Nov. 30 the center will be open every night from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. until mid April.
