The Shepherd’s House warming center will be open until further notice. The shelter opens at 4 p.m. and dinner is served at 5 p.m. People are encouraged to arrive before the shelter’s 8 p.m. curfew.
Warming center guests must leave by 8 a.m. They will be provided with a single-ride PARTA bus pass to help them on their way, said Shepherd’s House Executive Director Anne Marie Noble.
Once guests have left the shelter, which is located roughly midway between Kent and Ravenna at 2645 state Route 59, options are limited.
For people living outside, or those who lack heat in their house, The Center of Hope in Ravenna and Kent Social Services are both open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna and Kent Free Library are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
In an email to The Portager, Bridget Susel, Kent’s community development director, said the city was informed in the morning of Feb. 11 that it has been approved for PARTA’s subsidized fare grant, which will allow it to access single-ride passes. Those will not be immediately available for riders, as the city has to follow its accounts payable procedures. That means it won’t have a check available to deposit for at least a week. After Kent does deposit $500 into PARTA’s EZfare account, the passes can be printed and distributed. PARTA’s Friends of Riders Foundation plans to match the city’s $500, she said.
Susel in the email said the list of Kent locations that will have the passes has not been finalized, but “will likely include Shepherd’s House and Kent Social Services.”
“The city’s $500 will remain on account with a declining balance after each printing of the passes and [will be] available, if needed, for future warming and cooling center single use passes,” Susel said.
For those unable to obtain bus passes, each PARTA ride costs $1. PARTA does not offer Sunday service. Its last Saturday run leaves Kent shortly before 7 p.m.
Noble said Shepherd’s House is in need of volunteers for the early morning (5 a.m. to 8 a.m.) shift to assist with breakfast. For more information, or to volunteer, call Noble at 330-235-8600 or email her at [email protected].
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.