The City of Bellingham will continue to operate a severe weather shelter at the Maritime Heritage Park pavilion for at least the next two nights. The shelter, located in the pavilion at 500 W. Holly St., is for men only and is open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The City will continue to operate the shelter for as long as it is needed through this severe weather event.
“Last night, the City had five guests spend the night, and everything went smoothly,” Mayor Kelli Linville said. “I was there for several hours, and the shelter is a safe place for people to be out of the severe weather.”
The Lighthouse Mission Ministries reported this morning that last night they had capacity to shelter an additional 20 and 30 people at their extended shelter spaces at both the Mission and Fountain Community Church. The City’s shelter is an alternative to these shelter efforts during this severe weather.
“We are operating this severe weather shelter to support other shelter efforts, provide alternatives to the Lighthouse Mission, and to demonstrate that the City is ready to take action when needed,” Mayor Linville said.
Bellingham Police Department will continue to provide police presence at the shelter, and both BPD and the Bellingham Fire Department also provide transportation when needed for community members who need access to shelter or hospital services. The City also continues to provide space in the Bellingham Public Library during the day for guests at the Fountain Community Church’s women’s shelter.
The City of Bellingham Office of Emergency Management is coordinating staffing for both the severe weather shelter and the Bellingham Public Library day center in cooperation with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management, the Volunteer Mobilization Center, and the Opportunity Council.
For more information
To receive regular updates from the City of Bellingham, visit www.cob.org/news and subscribe.
To read the Mayor’s emergency weather proclamation from Feb. 11, click here.
To receive emergency alerts through the City and County’s AlertSense program, sign up here.
