YAKIMA, Wash.- The low-barrier homeless shelter, Camp Hope, is built to house up to 250 people every night. But when winter comes, beds become harder to find as more people take refuge at the facility from colder weather.
“Wintertime, we always see people come in off the river, street homelessness, so on,” says Camp Hope CEO Mike Kay. “But they realize that this isn’t the Holiday Inn, but at the same time, they realize they get meals, they get showers, they get all that type of stuff.”
Kay says already, there’s about 190 beds being used at its Birch Street site. He adds that even if the camp is at capacity, staff will find a way to protect anyone who comes in from the elements.
“We’ll get creative with them,” says Kay. “They might be sleeping on an office floor, but they’re in out of the weather.”
A trailer full of extra bedding and sleeping surfaces remains on the premises to provide for anyone in need. Camp Hope says even if it means putting extra people into one tent, it keeps everyone warm and protected.
“At least we have a warm place to go,” says Merl Smith, who’s been living at Camp Hope for over a month. “They have heaters in our tent, usually we have a fire, too.”
Smith says along with providing him shelter and food, Camp Hope has been helping him get back on his feet. While also providing him rides to visit his son, the facility has provided him resources to find permanent housing and a job.
While heat may be essential to survive the winter, Smith says the campfires help build a community among the residents.
“Actually, some of the people here are alright,” Smith says. “I’ve come to get along with quite a few of them.”
Kay adds that for many, the connection doesn’t come immediately, but being around each other helps to remove the stigma and hesitation of reaching out to a homeless shelter.
“It usually takes a person coming in off the streets a day or two to get acclimated, but usually because there’s so many people here, there’s usually somebody they can connect with,” says Kay.
Camp Hope has also opened up its facility to offer day-use services. Anyone who needs it can take refuge from the elements for the day and use the housing and work services on site, without the expectation staying there.
The low-barrier shelter is open 24 hours a day at 2300 E. Birch Street in Yakima.
