Thanksgiving Goodness: Local church steps up as daytime warming center for the homeless

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --- With high winds in the forecast and temperatures continuing to drop this Thanksgiving weekend, one local church is stepping up to be a daytime warming center for the city’s homeless.

While many will be spending time with their loved ones at the dinner table tomorrow, Pastor Andrew Snyder at Miracle Revival Church in South Bend will be spending his time feeding and sheltering the homeless.

“We have a real need in South Bend for a place for homeless people to go during the day,” Snyder said. “It’s the most important day of the year as far as I’m concerned. This is the most important holiday.”

Snyder opened up the basement of his church as a daytime warming center when he realized there was a need since the main library downtown is closed for the next two years for renovations.  The church is open for anyone to come by from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“At night they go to weather amnesty and that’s great but during the daytime when it gets bitter cold they don’t have anywhere to go.”
Synder plans on keeping the warming center open as long as there’s a need, possibly into the summer months. He says offering his church as a shelter also serves a double purpose.

“It’s a place where people can go to get fed spiritually,” Snyder said. ”We’re helping people come out of their mess. It’s not just about feeding the homeless because there are people that do that we want to help people get out of the drugs on the streets and the alcohol and everything that they do.”

Since opening his doors in November, Snyder said the communal response has been amazing. Wednesday, the church received a furnace as a donation to install in the basement which is currently being heated by space heaters.

Snyder says that’s just one example of the community coming together to help one another; something he’s thankful for.
“It’s the most important thing to just be thankful. We’re just going to stop tomorrow and just give thanks for the beauty and the bounty that God has given us.”

If you’d like to donate supplies to the warming center at Miracle Revival Church you can stop by at 415 Lasalle Avenue anytime from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or call Clara Ross at (574) 520-0397. Ross says they are most in need of perishable food items, paper products, small kitchen appliances, and help to get the furnace installed.

You can also donate via the warming center’s GoFundMe.