As an Arctic front bears down on north Georgia First Baptist Church of Cornelia is again opening its heart and its doors to shield people from the cold.
The church is offering an ON CALL Cold Weather Shelter for families and individuals who need a warm place to stay. People can be referred through local agencies such as United Way or may contact the church directly.
To activate the ON CALL shelter, contact First Baptist Church of Cornelia during the regular business hours of Monday-Thursday, 8am-4pm and Friday, 8am-3pm at 706-778-4412. Before or after business hours, contact FBC Cornelia pastor Dr. Eric Spivey at 706-499-9999.
First Baptist Church of Cornelia operated its first cold weather shelter last year.
Spivey says since that time, “…the church, including staff and church members, have made a commitment to help those in need of a shelter from the extreme cold, throughout the winter months.”
He explains the meaning of ON CALL is that the shelter will not open every cold night, instead, “We will open when an emergency or community agency finds a person or family in need of protection from the cold and makes a request to the church.”
Spivey says requests for shelter can be made at any time, day or night, as deemed necessary. The church also has a supply of blankets and coats available to give to anyone who needs them.
Spivey stresses this is not a permanent homeless shelter, “We are set up to keep people alive during extreme winter conditions for short periods of time.”
The American Red Cross is currently in the process of re-certifying FBC Cornelia as one of their disaster shelters. Some church members have gone through the Red Cross Shelter training to help with certification and the proper management of a shelter. But Spivey says, “Even if the American Red Cross does not call a cold weather incident a disaster, FBC Cornelia will open the shelter if needed, as requested.”
