OTM Opens Winter Emergency Shelter

Due to COVID-19, our local shelters have had to lower capacities across Durham and many of the organizations that normally volunteer to help host people on especially cold nights (called 'white flag') have been unable to open this year. Open Table Ministry has been trying to fill this critical gap so that our unsheltered neighbors can be protected from the cold weather.

Therefore, we are excited to announce the opening of our winter warming emergency shelter! Beginning on January 11, 2021, Open Table Ministry has offered 20 warm beds each night in Trinity United Methodist Church's fellowship hall to our unsheltered neighbors. Our emergency shelter will run from January 11th until March 31st, filling a critical need for safe, warm beds throughout the winter. We have an excellent staff of 10 new seasonal employees who work hard each night to greet our guests and keep them safe and warm throughout the night. In less than three weeks, Open Table has housed over 65 individuals and provided more than 342 nights of shelter!

We are thrilled to be able to provide this service to our neighbors during this difficult time, and we are grateful for being named a 'COVID hero' by Mayor Schewel along with some other partners working to provide shelter and support to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. You can check out the video from Mayor Schewel below!