In the winter of 2008-09, a local homeless man froze to death in Winchester, Virginia.

A group of local faith-based leaders came together, seeking to do something to prevent this from ever happening again.  The solution was right at their fingertips: their church buildings which were warm and sitting empty at night.  Thus, the Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter (WATTS) was born.  With commitments from a handful of churches and organizations who volunteered their buildings for a week at a time, WATTS launched our first Overnight Shelter season in November 2009.  Volunteers from these “host” groups provided dinners, breakfasts, and bagged lunches for WATTS guests seven days per week during the winter. Additionally, volunteers spent time with our guests, playing games, doing puzzles, or just having a time of fellowship that was judgement-free.  It was truly a community effort and for that reason, it was a great success!

The Overnight Shelter has continued to operate from November – March every year since that first season.

WATTS is a low-barrier shelter, meaning we will take ANYONE who is homeless, regardless of sobriety or criminal background; we seek to eliminate the “barriers” that prevent guests from entering other shelters and simply get them off the streets.  For this reason, the shelter is for ADULTS ONLY and all volunteers must be at least 18 YEARS OF AGE.

The shelter can house up to 35 guests each night on cots that are cleaned and moved each week to the next host location.  WATTS owns the cots and linens, which are laundered each week and stored during the off-season.  WATTS also owns a bus and employs bus drivers who transport our guests to and from the host locations each day.  Some of our host locations are able to offer added blessings, such as shower facilities.  Many people come in to volunteer their time, efforts, and various talents to our guests, providing meals, necessities, fellowship, haircuts, music therapy, and medical services, just to name a few.  WATTS guests agree to abide by a set of basic rules while in our care and trained WATTS managers are always on site to run the shelters and handle any issues that may arise.

Our mission from when we began remains relevant today; unfortunately, the need has continued to grow over the years and we’ve realized the need for additional services.  In October 2022, WATTS unveiled our new evolved and expanded Mission:

To break the cycle of homelessness one life at a time. We empower individuals to re-enter the workforce and connect individuals to the resources needed to be as self-sufficient as possible while providing a safe, temporary shelter during extreme weather.

In addition to continuing to run the Overnight Shelter each winter, some of our newest services include:

• Transition Support Staff (TSS) and Transition Out of Homelessness Program – WATTS employs team members who work year-round to help our guests with such things as obtaining identification and copies of birth certificates, assisting with job applications, forms for Centralized Housing Intake and apartments, applying for Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP benefits, information and placement in drug and alcohol detox/rehabilitation programs, and much, much more.  Falling into homelessness is easy and can happen quickly; getting out is much more difficult and complex.  Our team work with our guests to set achievable goals, and then serve in a case manager-type role to help guests achieve those goals, with the ultimate objective being to set them on the path for a safe, stable future and end their homelessness.  Our Transition Support Specialists maintain contact and continue to follow-up with guests, if needed, even after they are securely housed.

• Cooling Center – The daytime Cooling Center gives homeless individuals a safe, air-conditioned place to sit for a few minutes or a few hours to help cool off from the heat of summer.  We offer snacks and refreshing drinks daily and have lunch offerings on various days, provided by generous volunteers!  Open during the hottest summer months (July and August) everyday, from noon to 5 pm.

• Warming Center – The daytime Warming Center gives homeless individuals a safe, warm place to sit for a few minutes or a few hours to warm up from the cold of winter.  We offer snacks and warm drinks daily and have breakfast and lunch offerings on various days, provided by generous volunteers!  Open everyday during the coldest months (November through March.)

**Our daytime Cooling Center opens Monday, July 29, 2024**