Warming station gets started in Clarkston near homeless camp

Click here to read the updated story in Tuesday's paper.

A coalition of nonprofit organizations, businesses and random residents of the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley established a temporary warming station this past weekend near the homeless camp in Clarkston.

The small shelter was located Sunday along Port Drive, on the corner of the lot that belongs to the Chef Store. In the tent was food, coffee, warm clothes, blankets, hygiene items, dog food and more. Residents of the homeless camp stopped by for supplies and to visit with volunteers, and then returned to their own tents to hunker down in the frigid weather.

The effort to establish the warming station was led by Elves For The Homeless, a valley-based nonprofit group that was started in 2019. Amanda Cox, one of the leaders of the group, had been working to get the warming station started during the late fall, but stepped up those efforts when temperatures plummeted late last week.

Elves For The Homeless got the OK from the Chef Store to use its property Saturday, and a pop-up station went up that day. It went back up Sunday and was visited by a steady stream of residents from tent city, as well as other valley residents who stopped by with donations.

The warming station — which is set up and taken down each day — will likely be up and running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Cox is also hoping to have it set up Saturdays on a regular basis.

The group will organize the station "as long as we can for the winter — as long as we have a location," Cox said.

When the warming station went up Saturday, the Salvation Army provided tables, Happy Day Restaurants brought propane heaters and Jollymore's: A Dining Experience donated paper plates, napkins and utensils. Other supplies came from a variety of sources.

"This is all in less than 24 hours," said Justina Foster, who is with the Salvation Army. "We went from the Chef Store being willing to let us sit here for a couple of hours, to actually having a tent and heaters and food and coffee and blankets."

Cox said she first took note of the valley's homeless issue in 2019, which is why she established Elves For The Homeless. The group's efforts focus on direct outreach: They go to the streets and provide homeless people with supplies and guide them to the resources that are available.

"When I was younger, this community really stepped up and helped my family, and I want nothing more than to do what they did for me," Cox said. "And this is how I decided to do that."

The valley's homeless situation has become more visible since the fall, when the city of Clarkston closed two parks where homeless people had been sleeping and directed them to a city-owned right of way behind Walmart. The camp's population is estimated around 60 to 70.

The valley doesn't have a homeless shelter.

Cox and Foster said those who want to help should check the Facebook pages from Elves For The Homeless and LCV Help the Homeless. Announcements about what is needed are made there, and people can also ask questions about how they can help. Foster also suggested that people bring donations to nonprofit groups, rather than directly to the homeless camp, so those groups can document what is needed and make sure the supplies get to those who are most in need.

Foster started the LCV Help the Homeless page weeks ago after she became frustrated with the dismissive attitude of some social media posters about the plight of the homeless.

"The idea was, anyone who doesn't want to believe those negative comments, who actually feels compassion and wants to help, can go to one page and say, 'What do we need to do? Where do we need to go? What can we do?'

"We're all in this battle together," Foster added. "God doesn't look any different at my sins than he looks at your sins. And I have a very colorful past too. I went to federal prisons, and God forgave me. He gave me mercy when I didn't deserve it."

Baney may be contacted at mbaney@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2262. Follow him on X @MattBaney_Trib.