When temperatures this winter drop to 32 degrees or below, the Severe Weather Shelter at Orcas Island Community Church plans to again offer a warm place to sleep to unsheltered community members.

Due to covid, the Food Bank is using the Fellowship Hall at this time and so the Severe Weather Shelter location has been moved from to the Family Center at 214 Madrona St. The shelter will follow all state health department guidelines regarding covid-19 precautions in order to help keep our community as safe and healthy as possible.

Guests can check in from 7 to 9 p.m., and the shelter will close at 8 a.m. the following morning.

Volunteers are needed to staff the shelter. The Severe Weather Shelter will be hosting an informational meeting via Zoom on Monday, November 16 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Contact ryan@orcaschurch.org for log-in details).

“I am thankful for the many volunteers from our community who have made the Severe Weather Shelter a possibility,” says OICC pastor Brian Moss. “While we are hosting the shelter at the church, this has very much been a community-wide effort from the beginning.”

Volunteers will be offered a $75 stipend for nights served and a $10/night incentive for signing up in advance. For more info and to sign up, visit: https://orcaschurch.org/severe-weather-shelter. The shelter hotline is 360-622-3266.