Brutal cold is coming, but this Topeka warming center could close without volunteers
The brutal cold Topekans saw in December 2022 brought wind chill indices as low as minus 29 degrees.
A "polar vortex" expected to remain here through Tuesday is predicted to bring wind chills as low as minus 25.
Yet TRM Ministries isn't seeing as much support for the warming center it established this week as it did for the center it operated 13 months ago, said its executive director, La Manda Broyles.
A dearth of volunteers threatens to leave that center's residents out in the cold.
TRM plans to keep the center open until noon Saturday but will have to shut it down if it doesn't get more help, Broyles told The Capital-Journal on Wednesday.
"We are in dire need of volunteers to assist with the staffing of the warming center," she said.
Roughly eight volunteers at a time are needed to staff the center, which operates 24 hours a day, with those people working in four-hour and eight-hour shifts, Broyles said.
TRM employees and workers from other nonprofit agencies are among those working at the shelter, Broyles said.
Anyone who would like to volunteer to work four-hour shifts can click here. Those who wish to volunteer for eight-hour shifts can click here.
What is the 'polar vortex' and how is it expected to affect Topeka?
The warming center's creation was among steps taken as Topekans braced for a prolonged freeze expected to bring wind chills similar to those the city saw in what was called a "once-in-a-generation" storm in December 2022.
For days, the National Weather Service has been warning the public about bone-chilling conditions anticipated to result from the move south of the polar vortex, a gigantic, circular area of cold air high up in the atmosphere that typically spins over the North Pole.
By Monday morning, forecasters say, 88% of the contiguous U.S. could see below-freezing temperatures.
Forecasters predicted wintry precipitation would fall late Thursday and early Friday in northcentral and northeast Kansas.
North-central and northeast Kansas, including Topeka, are predicted to see sub-zero wind chill indices from Friday through Tuesday.
The wind chill is forecast to drop early Sunday to minus 33 at Marysville and minus 32 at Hiawatha, and early Tuesday to minus 25 at Topeka, the weather service's Topeka office said in a graphic linked to its website.
How close will the anticipated cold come to breaking records?
Low temperatures at Topeka are predicted to fall to 10 late Friday night, 1 early Saturday, minus 2 early Sunday, minus 4 early Monday and minus 7 early Tuesday, the weather service's Topeka office Friday in a graphic on its website.
Wind chill indices at Topeka are expected to fall to minus 5 Friday, minus 17 Saturday, minus 24 Sunday, minus 23 Monday and minus 25 Tuesday.
Though the weather service doesn't keep wind chill index records, it says a low wind chill of minus 41 was recorded in December 1989 in Topeka.
But that reading wouldn't be so low today, as the formula used now to determine wind chill indices doesn't result in their being as low as those calculated under the formula that was in effect in 1989.
Frigid conditions need not be record-setting to be deadly
Two Topekans, a man and a woman, died separately of apparent hypothermia during times of cold weather here in January 2018.
Authorities in 1988 found a 78-year-old woman Topeka woman dead of hypothermia in her home, which contained U.S. savings bonds totaling more than $500,000.
As the December 2022 polar vortex approached Topeka, TRM Ministries — with help from other nonprofit agencies and Topeka's city government — for the first time opened a 24/7 warming center for the unhoused.
Warming center has served a total of 70 people
TRM, a faith-based organization, since 1953 has served homeless, hungry and impoverished citizens in the Topeka community. Its offerings include a men's shelter at 600 N. Kansas Ave. and its Hope Center at 116 N.W. Curtis, which houses families, single women, single mothers and single fathers.
Those shelters are relatively full, with TRM seeing between 220 and 240 residents per night staying in them, Broyles said.
TRM residents must sign a contract agreeing to carry out specific responsibilities during their time as a resident. Those included avoiding fighting and aggressive behavior, panhandling, involvement in criminal activity and using alcohol, illegal drugs or chemical products.
Those requirements aren't imposed upon residents staying at the warming center, though people there must turn in any weapons, Broyles said.
How busy has the warming center been?
About 40 people were staying Thursday at the warming center, with four more being housed by Valeo.
The center and its Valeo site had served a total of 96 "unique individuals," with most having left prior to Thursday.
Those staying at the center were being provided blankets, a mat or cot, sheets, three meals a day, snacks, beverages and people to care for them.
Resident Thomas Long said he liked the "cozy" atmosphere at the center. Its lights were dimmed Wednesday afternoon, with some being on but most being off.
Long and his wife, Megan, told The Capital-Journal they appreciate being able to stay there together. Most agencies that work to help the homeless try to separate them, they said.
Decision to open warming center Monday was questioned
Broyles said many questioned her decision to open the warming center on Monday evening, well before bitter cold was anticipated to reach this area.
She stressed that Monday had brought this area wintry precipitation.
"Even though the temperatures weren't dramatically dropping yet, I knew we needed to be proactive instead of reactive and get people to safety before we had health concerns," Broyles said.
"What people don't understand is that precipitation and moisture can truly change things dramatically for our unsheltered neighbors," she said.
The snow that fell Monday and Tuesday was preceded by rain, Broyles said.
"My concern was — especially for our unsheltered neighbors who have physical ailments — that if they get cold and wet and then you then mix that with wind gusts and those kinds of things, then it becomes really difficult for them to monitor and regulate their body temperatures and be able to warm up," she said. "It also increases their chances of hypothermia and frostbite."
Broyles said she initially committed to running the warming center from Monday until Thursday, then extended that commitment until Saturday.
She said she was hoping other organizations, agencies, businesses or churches would step up and provide additional shelter, even for only five or 10 homeless people.
Valeo Behavioral Healthcare has agreed to take up to 15, Broyles said. Otherwise, she said, "no one has stepped up" in terms of providing addition shelter.
The warming center hasn't seen the same level of support this week as it did last year from Topeka's city government, Broyles added.
Still, Broyles said, TRM "continued on" because this community has showed it cares about the safety of its unsheltered residents.
The city is under different leadership than it was 13 years ago, with Richard U. Nienstedt now being interim city manager. Then-city manager Stephen Wade, who gave support to the shelter set up in December 2022, was fired last July. The city said Wade engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.
Topeka's city government says it is helping
Still, city communications director Gretchen Spiker said Thursday that officers from the Topeka Police Department's behavioral health unit and employees from the city's housing services division have worked a combined 112.75 hours at the warming center, and plan to continue to support that center.
"Additionally, (Topeka Fire Department) leadership made a personal donation of hand warmers to the warming center and has been stopping by when possible," she said.
The city sent information about the warming center volunteer opportunity to all of its employees and encouraged participation, Spiker said.
City staff members this week have been reaching out to offer resources to unsheltered people, and encouraging them to stay at the warming center, she said.
"The city encourages the community to look out for one another during this time," Spiker said. "If you have an aging neighbor, check in on them."
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka warming center aims to help as polar vortex brings brutal cold
