Asheville Street Sentinel

Friday evening Asheville is expected to receive six to ten inches of snow according to the National Weather Service which has issued a severe Winter Storm Warning. During the last blast of winter weather, an emergency shelter was opened on Coxe Ave. to take care of any overflow during the consistently below freezing temperatures. However, this time, shelters serving the homeless say they are ready for what’s to come.

“We are prepared to handle any increase at this time,” says Rev. Micheal Woods of Western Carolina Rescue Ministries (WCRM). “We had a plan [for last time] and still have a plan that can house more people in a emergency temporary case.” That plan was established at the last Asheville Homeless Coalition meeting on January 5th: in the event that there was a considerable overflow in the shelters, Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) agreed to open their shelter on Coxe Ave, and if there was a shortage of staff, WCRM would agree to staff the facility.

Concerning the imminent, inclement weather, Jimmy Vestal, Chaplain at the ABCCM Veterans Restoration Quarters, said “we have spoken with the other shelters in the area and agree that we are prepared to handle the number of homeless who seek shelter.”

Contact information for the shelters is listed below and in the Asheville Homeless Network Community Resources Guide.

ABCCM Veterans’ Restoration Quarters
1329 Tunnel Rd. (Oteen) 298-7952

ABCCM – Women’s Shelter
141 Hillside Ave. – 259-5365
other ABCCM shelters – call office 259-5300

Room at the Inn – location varies
Women only, contact A-HOPE – 258-1695

Salvation Army – Men and Women
204 Haywood St. – 253-4723

Western Carolina Rescue Ministries – Men and Women
225 Patton Ave. – 254-0471