BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With overnight lows forecast to slip below freezing, the Jimmie Hale Mission in Birmingham, Ala., is opening its doors again Saturday night as a warming station for anyone who needs a warm place to sleep.
The station runs from 6 p.m. until about 7 a.m., or until temperatures climb the next morning, on both Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14. It is at the Mission, 3420 Second Avenue North, and is open to men, women and children who are unhoused or lack enough heat at home.
Women and children who want a separate space can stay at Pathways, 409 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd.
Guests at the Mission get a hot supper and breakfast, along with cold-weather clothing and other basic supplies while they last.
Getting there is free. Between 6 and 7 p.m., a Mission shuttle loads riders at Linn Park’s main gate, where Park Place meets 20th Street North, and a return trip is offered each morning. The free Birmingham Xpress rapid transit line comes by every 30 minutes and pulls up right outside the Mission, and the Metro Orange Line stops at Sloss Furnace nearby.
The City of Birmingham is backing the effort with funding and a police officer on site. The Mission is asking for paper plates, napkins, plastic forks and spoons, soft fruit such as bananas and oranges, individually wrapped breakfast bars and bottled water, which can be dropped off at the Mission. Anyone who sees a person outside in the cold overnight can point them toward the station or the Linn Park pickup before 7 p.m. The shelter is aimed at nights when the freezing air poses the greatest danger.
Filed under: Birmingham AL Weather News