As Northwest Indiana remains locked in a stretch of bitter winter weather, Gary warming centers are continuing to serve residents seeking relief from dangerous cold and snow that are expected to linger through the weekend.
The National Weather Service says temperatures in Gary are expected to remain dangerously low through the weekend, with overnight lows Friday and Saturday falling into the single digits and subzero wind chills persisting through Saturday morning. Snow is likely Friday, with a 50% chance of snow on Saturday before noon, raising concerns about hazardous travel, particularly near Lake Michigan.
The prolonged cold spell, which includes single-digit overnight lows and repeated chances for snow through Saturday, has prompted city officials and community organizations to keep warming centers open as conditions remain dangerous.
Earlier this week, Gary officials closed city buildings, and the Gary Community School Corporation canceled classes Monday as temperatures plunged and road conditions deteriorated. City leaders urged residents to limit travel when possible and to seek warming centers if they lost heat or could not safely remain in their homes.
Among the organizations responding is Brothers’ Keeper, a shelter for unhoused men in Gary that expands its operations during periods of extreme cold.
Located at 2120 Broadway in the former Levin’s Tire Center, Brother’s Keeper has served the region for nearly four decades. When temperatures drop below 32 degrees, the shelter operates as a warming center, opening its doors to community members seeking relief from the cold.
“Anybody can come to Brothers’ Keeper,” said Isaac Mootye, executive director of the shelter.
Inside a city warming center
Inside one of the city’s longest-operating warming centers, near the intersection of 21st Avenue and Broadway, Brothers’ Keeper buzzes with volunteers as the facility maximizes its limited space to serve multiple roles, including food distribution, overnight shelter, and daytime warming services.
The shelter currently has 25 beds available to assist men in the region. In addition to overnight shelter, the organization operates food pantries four days a week, prepares hot meals, and partners with outside groups to help clients navigate insurance needs beyond Medicaid. Brothers’ Keeper is also one of the few organizations in the city that provides heating and cooling services when temperatures fall below 32 degrees and rise above 88 degrees.
When temperatures fall below freezing, the shelter also functions as a warming center. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the facility opens its doors to community members who need a place to warm up during extreme cold.
“Anybody who wants to come here can ride the bus for free by telling the driver the code ‘32,’ and they’ll bring them here,” Mootye said.
During prolonged cold spells, Mootye said he sometimes arrives at work to find people already waiting in the parking lot before the shelter opens.
As demand increases, staff and volunteers adjust services to meet immediate needs. While the shelter may not be able to provide the same level of assistance to every visitor as it does for overnight residents, Mootye said people seeking food or basic support are not turned away.
Brothers’ Keeper relies heavily on volunteers and community partnerships to sustain its operations, particularly during periods of severe weather.
“We have a lot of warm-hearted people around here,” Mootye said. “There’s a lot of compassion and love from people who’ve lived in Gary all their lives.”
Orlando Dillard, 56, is one of the volunteers who helps with day-to-day operations at the shelter. A former shelter resident, Dillard has volunteered for the past two years and said the warming center fills a critical need in the community.
“It’s necessary and very helpful,” Dillard said. “A lot of people need a place like this when it gets this cold.”
Dillard said he returned to volunteer because he wanted to help others facing circumstances similar to his own.
“I have a desire to help people,” he said. “Sometimes we can learn from each other and encourage one another.”
Other warming center options
Gary has several warming centers operating during the cold spell, including:
- Monroe Smith Warming Center, 4101 Washington St., open from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Hudson-Campbell Sports and Fitness Center, 455 Massachusetts St., open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and weekends from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Glen Ryan Park Pavilion, 4220 E. Sixth Place. Residents can call (219) 886-7113 for hours.
- Calumet Township Multipurpose Center, 1900 W. 41st Ave., open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Looking ahead
Even as shelters respond to the current cold spell, Brothers’ Keeper is preparing for a larger footprint in the city.
The organization plans to relocate to a new facility later this year. The new two-story shelter will include expanded dormitory space, a multipurpose area, offices, storage rooms, a conference room, and a kitchen. The facility will be located one block from the current site.
Mootye said the expanded space will allow the organization to increase warming services, improve ADA accessibility for unhoused men with disabilities, and serve more residents during extreme weather events.
“We’re going to still be here for people who are a bridge over troubled water,” he said.