Sleep on the Street raises funds for Warming Center
Richard Byrd | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 11 months AGO
Homeless Taskforce of Grant County/courtesy photo Several local community members spent the night in cardboard boxes during Sleep on the Street in Moses Lake.
Richard Byrd/Columbia Basin Herald Volunteers lined Stratford Road in Moses Lake Thursday night to raise funds and donations for the Warming Center during the third annual Sleep on the Street event.
MOSES LAKE — Community members came out in full force Thursday night to show their support for the Warming Center during the third annual Sleep on the Street event in Moses Lake.
Sleep on the Street is organized by the Homeless Task Force of Grant County to raise awareness of homelessness and raise funds for the Warming Center in Moses Lake. Sleep on the Street itself is a fairly simple premise that saw a number of prominent community members sleeping in a cardboard box Thursday night in the Penhallurick's True Value parking lot.
This year’s participants include: Moses Lake Police Department Chief Kevin Fuhr, Moses Lake Fire Department Chief Brett Bastian, MLFD assistant fire chief Pete Kunjara, Grant County Fire District No. 5 Capt. Travis Svilar, Moses Lake School District Administrator Dave Balcom, New Hope Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services Director Suzi Fode, Windermere K-2 Realty LLC owner Barry Lawson, Windermere broker Kandi Bersanti and Moses Lake City Council member Don Myers.
“I drove right on by this event last year and felt bad afterwards. Today when I was going home from work I knew I had to swing by and show my support for such a great cause,” Moses Lake resident Connie Roberts remarked.
For the last couple of years the Warming Center was located in the former Boys and Girls Club building in Moses Lake. But after the buildinng was sold, the decision was made to move the center to the Youth Dynamics building, 106 E. Third Ave. On average 22 people used the center each night during last winter’s harsh winter.
“I know a couple of people who have volunteered at the Warming Center in the past and I plan on helping out this year. The winter last year was by the far the worst I have seen in a long time and I can’t imagine not having a warm place to sleep during conditions like that. The Warming Center is such an important place in this community,” Moses Lake resident Donna Thompson remarked.
The Warming Center is expected to open sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.