Although the official start of winter is well over a month away, homeless service providers are gearing up to accommodate the unsheltered with a warm, safe place to rest during cold nights.
In Logan, the William A. Burnard Warming Center will open each night of the week beginning Nov. 30, running through mid-April 2026. But the center could open its doors earlier in the event of a Code Blue Alert, when temperatures drop to 18 degrees or below.
Heather Crockett, executive director of the Burnard Warming Center, said since the space has opened, they’ve seen double the number of people seeking shelter.
Last winter, Crockett said that around 200 people came to the center between November and April; up from 100 people during the first year of the service.
“We’re anticipating an uptick in numbers again this season,” she said.
Though homelessness may not be as evident in Cache Valley compared to other areas in Utah, Crockett said the community is not immune to the issue.
“Homelessness here might look a little bit different than it does in Salt Lake, but it is still here,” she said.
Data from the 2025 Point-in-Time Count in January found 145 individuals who were considered homeless in Cache County.
Crockett said many of the guests who come to the warming center are employed and may even have their own vehicle, but they are possibly struggling to keep up with the rise in housing costs.
“Prices have gone up and up (and) that has been more difficult for people to fill in — so we are serving a lot of people that I think in the past, normally wouldn’t be here,” she told KSL.com.
Crockett said the warming center, which is housed inside of St. John’s Episcopal Church, has room for about 30 people a night — and it relies heavily on volunteers.
She said it takes about 56 volunteers a week for the center to operate. Individuals can help onsite during operational hours — offsite at various community events — or via outreach efforts.
The William A. Burnard Warming Center recently held a training for volunteers and will host another event for new volunteers on Nov. 15.
Crockett said their goal is to provide a safe, warm place for unsheltered individuals. The training is intended to ensure volunteers uphold the center’s standards of kindness and respect for their guests.
Potential volunteers go through a background check and have a chance to connect with others who they’ll possibly be working with.
“We’ll give them a tour of the facility and have a question and answer of past volunteers and board members who are working with the center and can explain more (about) what their experience has been like working and volunteering at the warming center,” Crockett said.
During the recent training event, Crockett said past volunteers expressed how the experience made them feel like they were able to help make a difference in someone’s life.
“We had multiple volunteers that have been told, ‘If it wasn’t for the warming center, I wouldn’t be alive,’” she said.
Aside from an escape from the cold, Crockett said the center offers basic needs like shower passes, laundry facilities once a week — they also work in conjunction with the Bear River Association of Government, which helps direct people toward resources for housing assistance.
Crockett, who took over the executive director role in September, said she hopes to explore opening a year-round resource for people experiencing homelessness in Cache Valley in the near future.
“Within three to five years, our hope is that we will be able to get a permanent location that’s open year-round,” she said.
In the meantime, those interested in volunteering at the William A. Burnard Warming Center can visit its website or email info@wabwarmingcenter.org.
The center is located at 85 E. 100 North in Logan.