10 Virginia warming centers open now—and how you can make a difference

Warming centers across the commonwealth rely on volunteers, donations, and community awareness. Here’s how you can help.

While most of us move through the cold months wrapped in coats and routine, others are simply trying to make it through the night. In that space between comfort and survival stand our warming centers—ordinary rooms made extraordinary by the safety, dignity, and compassion they offer.

For nine years, I’ve talked with the people who keep these centers running. Year after year, the message never changes: They can’t do it alone. The warmth inside doesn’t happen by accident. It’s created by neighbors who show up with a pizza delivery, a pack of new socks, a few spare hours, or even just the willingness to check someone in with a smile.

While I encourage you each to consider how to best support the warming centers in your area, it’s also vital (and free) to help get the word out that they’re open. A shared post, a quick mention, or a forwarded link can be the reason someone finds shelter on a night when the temperature drops lower than they can bear. We’ve included 10 around the commonwealth, though there are plenty more to discover. 

City of Alexandria’s Winter Shelter

2355-A Mill Rd, Alexandria

Daily from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Falls Church Homeless Shelter

217 Gordon Rd, Falls Church

Daily from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.

The Men’s Hope Center

203 West 19th Street, Norfolk

Shelter beds available nightly for men

Weekday services open to men and women from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Chesapeake Area Shelter Team (CAST)

Chesapeake area

Rotating list of local churches and organizations offering overnight stays

Contact [email protected] for more information

Inclement Weather Shelter

1900 Chamberlayne Ave, Richmond

Daily from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.

People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry (PACEM) Cold Weather Shelter

Charlottesville area

Rotating list of local churches and organizations offering overnight stays

Operates two sites nightly—one for men and one for women (nonbinary guests stay where they feel most comfortable)—from 5:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The Redemption Center Church (TRCC) Warming Center

625 Shelton St, Danville

Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MHC Warming Center

603 Memorial Blvd, Martinsville

Open 7 p.m to 9 a.m. in temperatures below 40 degrees

The Rescue Mission Emergency Shelter

402 Fourth Street SE, Roanoke

Daily from 3 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Sheltering Arms of Franklin County

5185 Callaway Rd, Rocky Mount

Open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in temperatures below 45 degrees