LANSING, Mich — On cold Michigan nights, one Lansing church is offering families with children a safe place to rest, part of a wider effort to keep vulnerable residents warm this winter.
- With chilly temperatures set to hit our neighborhoods this weekend, a church is transforming to a warming center for children and their families.
- Union Missionary Baptist Church in Lansing started doing it in November and will run through February or March.
- The warming center runs each night starting at 9 p.m. with neighbors chipping in donations and volunteers offering their time.
WATCH: BLANKETS, COTS AND COMMUNITY— LANSING CHURCH HELPS FAMILIES ESCAPE THE COLD
Since November, Union Missionary Baptist Church has been turning its gymnasium into an overnight warming center from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The inspiration came when Avid House and the Mayor’s Interfaith Council reached out to area congregations, seeking help for families sleeping in cars.
“We provide warming from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. for families with children… because we felt anything below freezing is too cold for a child,” said Pastor Kenny Craig, the church’s senior pastor. “We decided we wanted to step into that gap.”
WATCH: CITY RESCUE MISSION'S SHELTER EXPANSION COMES JUST IN TIME FOR WINTER WEATHER
Inside, portable cots and privacy screens turn an open gym into personal spaces.
“There’s a lot of families that we weren’t even aware of that are sleeping in their cars with their babies… and we knew that there was a need,” said Corrie Craig, who coordinates the center alongside her husband and other organizers. “It’s really been the community helping the community."
While Lansing’s “Cold Blue” alerts start when temperatures dip to around 20–25 degrees, Pastor Craig says Union Missionary Baptist uses a different standard.
“Anything below freezing is too cold for a child,” Craig said.
WATCH: LANSING REACHES A DEAL, RESULTING IN THE CLEARING OF THE FALLEN ANGELS ENCAMPMENT
Even on milder nights, volunteers keep the church open into the early morning “because one soul, one family… is enough for us to say we’re open, come inside and get warm.”
Volunteer Cheryl Celestine, a deacon at the church, said the mission is about more than just keeping warm.
“We’re a big building, but we have a lot of love and we want families to be helped,” Celestine said. “It’s about comfort, safety, and support.”
WATCH: HILLSDALE'S UNHOUSED FIND REFUGE FROM THE COLD IN AN UNPERMITTED SHELTER
The warming center has capacity for about 94 people, per fire marshal limits according to Pastor Craig.
Partner churches and community organizations have filled shelves with donations — one day saw a single donor bring in bags of towels and blankets. Cristo Rey Church and Father Vincent have contributed manpower, pillows, blankets, and food according to Pastor Craig.
For those who want to help, the church is seeking hygiene products like soap, toothpaste, and towels, as well as nonperishable snacks such as breakfast bars, juice boxes, chips, cookies, and nutritious, kid-friendly items that don’t require cooking or refrigeration.
WATCH: FINDING SHELTER IN HILLSDALE WHEN YOU'RE HOMELESS
Pastor Craig says families are given small snacks upon leaving in the morning so that “they can be refreshed to go to school and to learn the next day.”
Donations can be dropped off at 500 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. or by scheduling through 517-485-7705.
The warming center is expected to run until late February, with March temperatures determining whether the effort continues.
“We’re not trying to replace a shelter,” Craig said. “We’re just trying to provide a space where these babies can come in for the night and find some rest and find a place that’s safe so they can go to school and be empowered the next day.”
Want more FOX 47 News? Here's how you download our Roku app
You can also see the latest news from across our mid-Michigan neighborhoods by liking us on Facebook or following us on X.
