Doulos Chapel opens its doors to provide warmth and food for people in need on Christmas day

South Bend, Ind.--- With no other warming centers open downtown South Bend, for the homeless on Christmas during the day, The Doulos Chapel opened its emergency warming center to lend a helping hand.

The church’s Pastor, Mario Sims, and First Lady Tiffany Sims, along with a few volunteers, provided clothing, blankets, snacks, and lunch from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. in hopes of giving people a place to eat, rest, and stay warm.

Jeramee Price says the Doulos Chapel’s warming center gave him a place to stay warm and be surrounded by people for Christmas.

“It started out just being a place to stay out of the cold,” said Price. “But I’m not from here and I’m not with my family, so it ended up being a place to come and be around other people, and share Christmas with them, you know what I’m saying, instead of being alone.”

The center provided hot soup, a variety of snacks, microwaved lunches, sack lunches, desserts, coffee, and hot chocolate. They also offered blankets and warm clothing. Interactive activities were put out as well.

Tiffany Sims said the warming center is much more than giving out items. Sims said they care for the well-being of people that come through their center.

“Yes they need clothes and they need food,” said Sims. But they also need just someone to listen to them. They need a friend; they need someone to be there. They need someone to care.”

The Emergency warming center is open Monday through Friday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Donations can be made directly to the church address or their P.O. Box at 1334 South Bend, Indiana. Monetary donations can be made out to the church.