City of Columbia Missouri Community Relations

P.O. BOX 6015 COLUMBIA, MO 65205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 18, 2020

CONTACT: Lucio Bitoy IV
Community Relations Specialist
Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services
[email protected]
573.874.7632

Brian Adkisson
Communications and Marketing Manager
Community Relations
City of Columbia
[email protected]
573.874.7330

City of Columbia to open temporary overnight warming center at Wabash Bus Station at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19

(COLUMBIA, MO) -

Due to the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast for unseasonably cold weather below 9 degrees Fahrenheit between the hours of 7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19 and 7 a.m., Monday, Jan. 20, the City of Columbia will open a temporary overnight warming center at the Wabash Bus Station (126 N. Tenth Street). The overnight warming center will serve as a resource for individuals unable to access local emergency shelter services. City staff will continue working closely with emergency shelter providers to ensure low barrier access to overnight emergency shelter as the preferred option for persons experiencing unsheltered homelessness.  

Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) also coordinates a network of warming centers in the community during cold weather; these centers are available to the general public during the building’s normal business hours. 

Columbia's regular warming centers include the following locations. Please note the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday may impact hours.

  • Activity and Recreation Center (ARC) at 1707 W. Ash St. - 573.874.7700
  • Armory Sports and Community Center at 701 E. Ash St. - 573.874.7466
  • Boone County Government Center at 801 E. Walnut St. - 573.886.4305
  • Columbia/Boone County PHHS at 1005 W. Worley St. - 573.874.7488
  • Columbia Mall at 2300 Bernadette Drive - 573.445.8458
  • Columbia Public Library at 100 W. Broadway - 573.443.3161
  • Salvation Army at 1108 W. Ash St. - 573.442.3229
  • Salvation Army Harbor House at 602 N. Ann St. - 573.442.1984     

Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital is also initiating a Warm Haven program for sheltering Veterans overnight during extreme cold conditions as community shelters are limited during evening and early morning hours. Warm Haven will operate from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. this weekend. The shelter is open to Veterans and their immediate families. Veterans will be required to sign a roster and must remain in the hospital area. To access the facility located at 800 Hospital Drive, enter through the main hospital doors and use phone to request entry. More information is available by calling the hospital at 573.814.6000.

Additional information on warming centers can be found at como.gov/health/human-services/warming-and-cooling-centers/.



City of Columbia Vision
Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.

City of Columbia Mission
To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.

-30-