With the help of community and law enforcement agencies, and the Battle Creek Fire Department, the city can share the following information on warming shelters and community support for the extreme cold expected this week.
According to National Weather Service updates, temperatures will dip to single digits around noon on Tuesday, declining to -10. A high of -7 is expected on Wednesday, then dropping to -15 by Thursday morning. There is a frostbite time of 15 minutes Tuesday night into Thursday morning.
- Battle Creek Fire Department – Fire Stations 1-6 will be open to the public for anyone needing a temporary respite from the cold. Check in with a fire station 24 hours a day, Tuesday to Thursday, and police will escort neighbors to a designated warming shelter.
Station 1, 195 E. Michigan Ave.; Station 2, 145 N. Washington Ave.; Station 3, 222 Cliff St.; Station 4, 8 S. 20th St.; Station 5, 1170 W. Michigan Ave.; Station 6, 2401 Capital Ave. SW
- Battle Creek Police Department, 34 N. Division St. – The front lobby will be open and monitored 24 hours a day, Tuesday to Thursday, for anyone needing to get out of the cold. Officers also will make contact with anyone they see walking during this time, to ensure they are safe and able to get where they are going.
- Battle Creek Transit – For anyone using the bus to get to the First Congregational Church warming shelter Tuesday to Thursday, drivers will transport those neighbors at no cost, during regular bus operations, until 6:45 p.m.
- The Haven, 11 Green St. – 24-hour dry shelter, and wet shelter extended hours. Will provide a shuttle to the SHARE Center and, if needed, to First Congregational Church.
- SHARE Center, 120 Grove St. – Day shelter, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- First Congregational Church, 145 Capital Ave. NE – 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; warming center with meal provided Wednesday at 6 p.m.; will provide overnight shelter if needed.
- Kingdom Builders World Wide, 50 Spencer St. – Overnight hours, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., Tuesday to Wednesday.
Please note that the point-in-time homeless county scheduled for this week has been canceled, due to the weather. The community will conduct the count on Feb. 6 instead.
Community shelters are seeking blanket, coat, hat, and glove donations, and First Congregational is seeking food and water donations.
We urge everyone to stay inside as much as possible this week, and to avoid shoveling snow during Wednesday’s extreme cold temperatures.