WATTS Announces Updated Temporary Transitional Shelter Programs

Eighty-five percent of guests who come through WATTS Homeless Shelter grew up locally in Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke Counties.  They are your friends, family, former classmates, and neighbors.  Established in 2009, the nonprofit organization (which stands for Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter) is best known for the overnight shelter it offers for homeless individuals from November to March. WATTS’ original mission statement was simply: “Providing safe, warm, temporary, overnight shelter to homeless individuals in the winter in host locations throughout Winchester, Frederick County, and Clarke County.”  During the past few years, that mission has grown and evolved.

Cooling Center 2023 photo/graphic – The WATTS Cooling Center, open every day through September 1, 2023, is operated out of Market Street UMC in Winchester and is accessible by the door pictured. Courtesy Cindee Steele.

“In 2020 WATTS opened the Warming Center; in 2021, we opened the Cooling Center and concurrently started the Transition out of Homelessness program and services.  These new programs have kept our guests safer and improved their chances to receive assistance and escape homelessness by attaining self-sufficiency.  In October 2022, we changed our mission statement because it did not correctly reflect current WATTS programs,” said Robyn Miller, Executive Director of WATTS.

WATTS has now added the daytime Cooling Center in the summer and the daytime Warming Center in the winter to their regular offerings throughout the year.  Both programs provide individuals experiencing homelessness a safe place to reside during the day and furnish guests an opportunity to receive services from the Transition out of Homelessness Program, far exceeding the previous service of just the overnight shelter.

This summer, the Cooling Center will operate from July 10 through September 1 and is open during the afternoon every day.  Operating out of Market Street UMC (131 S. Cameron Street, Winchester) and accessed from the Cork Street side, the Cooling Center gives homeless individuals a safe, air-conditioned place to rest for a few minutes or a few hours to help cool off from the heat.  WATTS can offer snacks and refreshing drinks daily, thanks to donations provided by the community and volunteers providing lunch offerings on various days.

The Warming Center is open morning and afternoon during the coldest months (November through March).  Also operating out of Market Street UMC, the Warming Center gives homeless individuals a safe, warm place to relax for a time to warm up from the cold.  WATTS offers snacks and warm drinks daily and, on occasion, has breakfast and lunch offerings, all provided by generous donors and volunteers.

“This past winter, the WATTS Warming Center registered an additional 109 people who received services through the daytime shelter but chose not to enter our rotational overnight shelter.  WATTS’ goal is to reach anyone experiencing homelessness who requires help during the day or night, and our Warming Center is helping us achieve that goal.  We modified our name from Thermal to Transitional to reflect the changes that have already occurred and the transformation we plan to make in the near term,” Miller said.

WATTS’ overnight shelter continues to be in operation, running from November through March each year, 7 pm-7 am, and can accommodate 35 guests per night.  Guests receive the hospitality of various churches and other community organizations who “host,” providing their buildings for shelter via a weekly rotating schedule and ensuring guests have a hot dinner as well as breakfast the next morning.  Over 2,000 volunteers make the 21-week program a success each year.

The new Transition out of Homelessness program employs four year-round Transition Support Staff (TSS) who have unique training in the areas of substance abuse, physical disabilities, social services, and public health.  The TSS help guests overcome the barriers and challenges that keep them in a cycle of homelessness. TSS assists guests with obtaining birth certificates and identification, job applications, forms for Centralized Housing Intake and apartments, applying for Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP benefits, information and placement in drug and alcohol detox/rehabilitation programs, patient advocacy, and more.

WATTS TSS provides one-on-one interviews at the point of intake to assess the guest’s needs and options, then plan a gradual path to improvement.  The goal of the transition program is to work intimately with those challenged by what may be the most difficult burden of their lives.

From left, Robyn Miller, Executive Director, Paige Rodgers, and BJ Dove (both Transitional Support Staff), with WATTS guest. WATTS’s new Transition out of Homelessness program has already assisted many guests with overcoming barriers and achieving self-sufficiency in stable housing. Courtesy Robyn Miller.

WATTS recognizes that some needs must be met first before others can even be addressed.  During the initial intake, WATTS’ data shows that physical, emotional, and intellectual needs as well as medical concerns, mental illness, or substance abuse, affect approximately 75% of the shelter guests.  Failure to address these needs makes success in attaining independent living almost impossible.  Scheduled weekly meetings between the guest and TSS are established to check in and assess medical needs, transportation, counseling, and personal concerns such as clothing and food.

The Transition out of Homelessness program includes:

• The initial intake is wherever homeless guests make themselves available, meeting where they are and working toward establishing trusting relationships
• Thorough guest assessment
• Weekly documented face-to-face meetings to review progress
• Advocacy and referrals to required services
• Individual files are maintained with frequent and consistent notes on guest progress, and agencies referred
• Formally trained staff receive ongoing, documented instruction on current issues relevant to the local homeless population.

Many homeless individuals choose not to receive any assistance and reflecting the great number of ‘hidden’ homeless in our community – those living in tents, cars, motels, storage units, or couch-surfing.  The expanded offerings of the Cooling and Warming Centers allow for more opportunities to connect guests with WATTS’ Transition Support Staff, who can help work toward resolutions.  Most importantly, the Centers meet immediate needs by offering a place to warm up/cool off, get snacks, drinks, and often lunch, use a restroom, and are a safe place to just sit without the worry of being cited for trespassing.  Feeling safe is paramount to a homeless individual who may just desire a place to lay their head and not have to live in fear.  These are often the first steps to getting someone the help they need.

Every single service WATTS provides is in some way supported by the community of Winchester, Frederick County, and surrounding areas. WATTS has a network of local volunteers to assist in supporting the overnight shelters. It is the churches and civic organizations that provide the bulk of the resources; love, care, snacks, drinks, lunches, hot dinners, coats, sweaters, underwear, socks, boots, jeans, and other clothing for men and women, wash clothes, towels, and toiletries.  God bless our wonderful community!

Winchester Royals and WATTS team up at Bridgeforth Stadium to support local homeless programs. Courtesy Cindee Steele.

Since 2020, WATTS has expanded the services offered, and its mission continues to mature.  Expanded services require more funding; donations from generous individuals, churches, community organizations, businesses, and foundations, in combination with successful fundraising efforts, are the lifeblood that allows WATTS to continue its mission and maintain service offerings, and they are so grateful for your support.

For more information about WATTS or to donate or volunteer, please visit their website at watts-homelessshelter.org or contact Executive Director Robyn Miller through email or phone (execdirector@watts-homelessshelter.org or 540-514-7218.)

This article was written with the collaboration of Executive Director Robyn Miller and the WATTS Board of Directors.