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Shelter from the cold: Churches find ways to help others stay warm Mary Jacobs, Feb 1, 2010
PHOTOS BY KENNY KEMP/THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Gena Ryan, director of music at First UMC in South Charleston, W.Va., kept snowbound kids occupied as the church hosted its “Snow Day” ministry when local schools closed.
By Mary Jacobs Staff Writer
For a kid, a day off from school due to snowy weather is an unexpected treat. A “snow day” can be a nightmare, though, for working parents who can’t afford to miss a day on the job.
Sara Ryan saw that as an opportunity for ministry. A middle school teacher and member of First United Methodist Church in South Charleston, W. Va., she doesn’t have to go to work when school is cancelled, so she decided to help parents who do. She spearheaded a “Snow Day” program at the church. Now, any day that schools in Kanawha County are closed, parents in the community can drop off children for a day of fun activities.
“It’s a way to let the community know that somebody cares for them,” said Ms. Ryan, who is also director of Christian education at the church.
The South Charleston church’s program was one of many examples of ways that United Methodist congregations went into action during the early January cold snap. When an arctic blast sent temperatures plummeting, churches responded with open doors and warm spaces.
When temperatures were forecasted to dip below zero, the Rev. Jim Bryant, pastor of Missouri UMC in Columbia, Mo., sent an e-mail out to church members asking for volunteers to help set up a temporary warming shelter at the church. He got 100 answers.
“I just sat here in my office looking at my computer with tears in my eyes,” he said. With cots and blankets provided by the Red Cross, the church was able to open for five nights, serving as overflow space; the city’s four shelters were already overflowing.
Similarly, St. Andrews UMC in Orangeburg, S.C., served as a “warming station,” as did Moody UMC near Birmingham, Ala.
“We show our love by our actions more so than our words,” said church member Bob Hill, who helped coordinate the effort. “If we can’t live it, it’s kind of hard to preach it.”
When the weather hit a 25-year record low recently in New Orleans, city officials opened extra shelters and asked local churches for help. The Rev. Martha Orphe, director of multicultural ministries in the Louisiana Conference, helped coordinate United Methodist volunteers. The first night of the cold snap, she said, “the shelters were so full that people had to sleep sitting up.” Churches of several denominations teamed up with the Salvation Army and the Red Cross to get additional space up and running quickly.
“This was such a collaborative effort—it was beautiful to see,” said Dr. Orphe.
When the weather turns cold, many homeless shelters can’t meet the extra demand. To fill the gap, some churches, like Lexington Park UMC in Lexington Park, Md., help provide extra space for the homeless during the winter months.
The Rev. Ken Walker, lead pastor of the church, coordinates an ecumenical program with 15 area churches (including four other United Methodist churches) that sign up to provide facilities or food and volunteers.
The need for shelters in the winter is more urgent than some might guess, Mr. Walker said.
“In southern Maryland, the weather’s typically not that bad, but I was talking to a homeless gentleman today who may lose his foot due to hypothermia because he was outside.”
In South Charleston, W.Va., four “snow days” have been declared already this school year. As word of First UMC’s program has gradually gotten out, 19 kids turned up for the most recent day.
Local businesses donated pizzas and donuts. Other members of the church, including a few fellow teachers, turned up to supervise and hand out snacks.
A local TV station featured a positive story on the “Snow Day” ministry, but Ms. Ryan says the best reviews came from harried parents who had nowhere else to turn. A single mom with no other childcare options feared losing her job if she missed any more work. She told Ms. Ryan that “a load had been lifted,” thanks to the program.
“Kids rarely get an opportunity to just be kids,” said Ms. Ryan. “We had games and activities ready, but we really didn’t need them. The kids mostly just played and hung out.”
PHOTOS BY KENNY KEMP/THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
“It’s a way to let the community know that somebody cares for them,” said Ms. Ryan, who is also director of Christian education at the church. 
