WATTS Coldest Night of the Year

Our conversation today welcomes back Robyn Miller, Executive Director for WATTS (Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter) and her Community Outreach Coordinator, Cindee Steele to talk about their Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk happening on Saturday, February 24, 2024. The Coldest Night of the Year is a family-friendly walk in support of people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. This is WATTS' second year hosting the event for Winchester to benefit their guests and bring awareness to their experiences. Their goal is to reach 700 walkers. The pair provide an overview of WATTS and its low-barrier shelter operations, as well as the day program they offer. Cindee emphasizes the importance of the event as a fundraiser for the shelter's services and explains participation options and logistics of the event. Robyn tells us about the speakers while Cindee gives the various ways to support the shelter, such as donating or volunteering. We also highlight the need for affordable housing and the challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness. Robyn & Cindee encourage listeners to participate in the event and show support for the cause. Register a team or walk as an individual, make a donation to an existing team, or sign up to volunteer here: https://cnoy.com/location/winchester  Learn more about WATTS on their website: https://watts-homelessshelter.org/  WATTS mission is to break the cycle of homelessness one life at a time. They empower individuals to re-enter the workforce and connect individuals to the resources needed to be as self-sufficient as possible while providing a safe, temporary shelter during extreme weather. In 2009, a group of faith-based leaders recognized there was a population of homeless adults who did not qualify for admission to other local shelter programs. Realizing these folks would be sleeping outside during the coldest weeks of winter and seeing a solution with their warm church buildings which were empty at night, WATTS was born. Since that time, WATTS has grown and expanded to meet the needs of homeless individuals in our area. Today, they provide 21 weeks of overnight shelter from November to March, along with a daytime Warming Center in the winter, and a daytime Cooling Center in the summer. They've also added a Transition Out of Homelessness Program, with staff members who work year-round to assist guests in ending their homelessness.