What happened?
McKinney City Council members approved a variance Dec. 16 for the church’s permit to operate a warming station during extremely cold weather. The variance enables the church to host up to 100 individuals once the ambient temperature drops to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a city document.
First McKinney Baptist Church partners with Emmanuel Labor to run the McKinney Emergency Overnight Warming Station, or MEOWS.
The permit already allowed up to 40 guests when temperatures were forecast to drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Council members had previously approved a variance allowing up to 75 guests when the wind chill was forecast to drop below 39 degrees, Chief Building Official Suzanne Arnold said.
City officials from the building inspections department and fire department determined the facility has enough room for the occupancy increase, Arnold said. Increasing the temperature required for opening the warming shelter was also consistent with data from the National Weather Service on risks of hypothermia, according to the city document.
“One hundred is still only a fraction of McKinney’s homeless population, but it helps,” she said.
Quote of note
Paul Ballesteros, founder of Emmanuel Labor, spoke on behalf of the church during the meeting.
Ballesteros said First McKinney Baptist Church is an ideal facility because of its size and its ability to provide showers for guests. Last year, the warming station didn’t open until January, but this year it’s been open for four nights already, he said.
“It is a great tool in our toolbox as a community to be able to reach people,” Ballesteros said.
More information
First McKinney Baptist Church is currently the only permitted warming station in the city, according to the city document. The center opens from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, once the temperature threshold has been forecast.
The station’s opening status can be checked through Emmanuel Labor’s Facebook page or by calling the MEOWS hotline at 919-636-9789.
