Do you need a place to get overnight shelter from the winter storm?
Unhoused people who need a place to get out of the winter storm predicted to strike the metro-east overnight can go to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s “drop-in center” in East St. Louis at 7 p.m. every day.
The drop-in center is next to St. Vincent de Paul’s outreach ministry center at 3718 State St.
The drop-in center operates from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. During the day, those who need cover and warmth can go to the outreach center.
Pat Hogrebe, executive director of the Belleville Council of St. Vincent de Paul, said the drop-in center has had 50 to 68 people per night this winter.
Hogrebe said those who spend the night at the center come from the metro-east and from outside the region. In the past year, people from 114 different cities have spent the night at the center, she said.
The drop-in center is not considered a “shelter” because it doesn’t have beds and people living there. Instead, the center has three-position, reclining chairs for visitors.
The Overnight Warming Center in Alton opens its doors at 5 p.m. It’s located at Deliverance Temple Church at 1125 E 6th St. in Alton, and the doors are on the Cherry St. side.
The Salvation Army at 20 Glory Place off West Main Street in Belleville and at 616 N. 16th St. in East St. Louis offers places you can warm up during the day. Call 618-235-7378 for more information about hours.
For more information about other daytime warming centers in the region, call the United Way at 2-1-1.
This story was updated at 10:05 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3, to include information about the Overnight Warming Center in Alton.
This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 6:11 PM.
