Carson City warming shelter needs volunteers

A record number of people are seeking shelter in the Night Off the Streets, Inc., Homeless Center and additional volunteers are needed to support night-time shifts in the center, according to a news release from Night Off the Streets.

“The number of people who have sheltered in the center has increased 31 percent over the same time last year,” Deacon Craig Lagier of Carson City, NOTS founder and president, said in the release. “Additional volunteers will help us more smoothly welcome and set up sleeping spaces for our guests as well as serve as monitors during the night.”

Nearly 40 guests per night have slept in the center since it opened for winter. The number of women sleeping in the center has doubled since last year as the shelter offers greater safety for its guests. The average age of all guests has also increased compared to last year from 51 years to 56.5 years of age. An increase in the number of guests that are of retirement age has also been noted.

Volunteers serve three shifts each night. The first shift starts at 8 p.m. The second shift starts at 11:45 p.m., and the third shift starts at 3:45 a.m. and ends at 7 a.m.

The center is open from November through March and is hosted by a different church every month. The center moves to the First United Methodist Church on Jan. 1.

For information about signing up to volunteer or make donations, contact NOTS at notscarson@outlook.com or 775-600-2632. Or go to www.notscarson.org for information and to complete a volunteer application.

All volunteers receive orientation and training on their role and responsibilities before serving in the NOTS center. First-time volunteers initially serve with an experienced volunteer to receive further training.

The NOTS warming center was founded six years ago after a homeless man died of hypothermia while sleeping outdoors. Since opening the center, no one has died from exposure to the cold in Carson City, the release said.

NOTS works to connect guests with city agencies and other non-profit organizations to help address the issues that contributed to being unhoused. These issues include medical problems, difficulty finding affordable housing, and lost documents required for job interviews.