Warming station opens in Gaston County as temperatures drop

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — As temperatures start to drop, Gaston County officials work to keep the less fortunate warm. WCCB Charlottes Zane Cina got a look inside a newly opened warming shelter that hopes to keep many from freezing.

Gaston County Board of Commissioners Chair, Chad Brown said the County worked with the City of Gastonia to open a warming station in the Gastonia Farmers Market located on East Long Avenue. Inside of the warming station is two big mobile heaters, light, tables, and chairs that give those in need a warm place to rest through the night. “It’s uncomfortable when it’s cold, so those people deserve to have something as well,” Chairman Brown said.

Volunteers with United Way of Gaston County work the warming center from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. One man who used the warming station Friday night said he’d hoped it would open sooner in the night. A City employee said that would require further resources that are not available at this time. Some also hoped the warming station would be filled with beds, but for now that is not a feature of the shelter.

“It’s no cot right now because it’s temporary heating and the building codes won’t allow that to happen. But, when you think about what’s going on as a whole, we have to figure out ways to do this,” Chairman Brown said.

The warming shelter has replaced the cold weather station that was in place at the nearby Salvation Army’s Center of Hope Shelter, which ended shelter operations earlier this year. The new warming shelter will only be open on nights where temperatures are expected to drop below 32 degrees. Officials said the shelter is a low-barrier facility, meaning it is open to all. Guests will not be required to provide proof of identification. An off-duty police officer will also be on stand at the warming shelter.

County and City officials hope to continue building on the warming shelter as more resources become available.