SFSM Steps Up to Become Cincinnati’s Emergency Daytime Warming Shelter
During the coldest days of winter, St. Francis Seraph Ministries (SFSM) offers a warm welcome and a safe place for neighbors to take refuge from the snowy, icy streets.
Since December, SFSM has served as the City of Cincinnati’s emergency daytime warming shelter, operating from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. on days when the temperature is 15 degrees or below. A typical day draws about 150-200 guests.
The daytime shelter was previously at the Over-the-Rhine Recreation Center. But with the center under renovation, the City asked SFSM to help during critically dangerous times for people experiencing homelessness.
“It means a lot to us that the City reached out to us,” SFSM Executive Director Mary Pat Raupach says. “It is a privilege for us to be of service in this way. It’s who we are as Franciscans. This is what we do.”
Normally, SFSM serves breakfast from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and dinner from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. On activation days, including weekends and holidays, SFSM provides its usual services and remains open throughout the day, also offering lunch and distributing winter essentials such as hats and blankets.
Many guests have enjoyed enriching, calming activities like jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, and coloring books. Others have been grateful simply to have a comfortable place where they can get some sleep indoors.
“We provide a place not only of food and being out of the elements, but a place where they can feel safe and secure,” Mary Pat says.
The City has brought in nurses from the Cincinnati Health Department as well as mental health professionals to talk with guests about housing and other resources.
At the heart of the winter shelter are the people who make it possible: SFSM staff and volunteers and City employees.
It takes at least 15 volunteers each day to keep the warming shelter running smoothly. On the first day of activation, Sunday, Dec. 14, staff and volunteers began working at 5:30 a.m. despite a Level 2 snow emergency that had blanketed local roads.
“I think it’s particularly extraordinary that the snowfall didn’t slow down our early-morning volunteers. They all made it here on time and ready to get started,” SFSM Volunteer Director Susan Walsh says. “They just stomped the snow off their boots and hit the kitchen to start brewing coffee and getting breakfast items prepped.
“When we put out an urgent call for additional help, volunteers responded within minutes. They helped us open early, they stayed late, and they made sure that every guest was welcomed with warmth and care. Their dedication was such a powerful expression of compassion, and we are so grateful to them.”
Mary Pat echoed that sentiment. The warming shelter is truly a collaborative effort that shows how strong our community is when we work together to protect and lift up our most vulnerable neighbors.
“I cannot say enough about how incredible our volunteers are and how deeply grateful I am to them, to our amazing, dedicated staff, and to our friends at the City of Cincinnati,” Mary Pat says. “The warming shelter is a beautiful example of teamwork. All of us at SFSM are thankful for this opportunity to step up and live out our mission in a new way.”