New warming center to open this weekend
Published 6:24 pm Friday, November 18, 2016
- New Ventures Inc. CEO Dave Miller points out all the renovations that were taking place inside their new building in August. The organization allowed part of their new facility to house the LaGrange-Troup County Warming Center, which will open on Sunday. (File)
By Melanie Ruberti
Melanie.ruberti@lagrangenews.com
New warming center to open this weekend
LaGRANGE — Folks without a place to call home will be able to stay warm this weekend as colder temperatures sweep through the area.
The new LaGrange – Troup County Warming Center at 150 Lukken Industrial Drive will open its doors Sunday evening starting around 5 p.m.
The center is part of a facility recently purchased by New Ventures Inc. In August, the board of directors agreed to renovate a portion of the building and open it up as a warming center.
The warming center task force, made up of city, county and community leaders, will open the facility when temperatures drop to 40 degrees or below outside at night.
The center can house up to 75 people, said LaGrange Police Sgt. Marshall McCoy.
The newly renovated building will have one room for men and a separate room for women and children to sleep in, plus bathrooms and showers for those wanting to freshen up, stated Dave Miller, CEO of New Ventures Inc. A local hotel has agreed to house families who want to stay together.
Volunteers will provide a warm meal at night and breakfast foods in the morning, McCoy said.
“This has been a great collaboration,” Public Safety Director Lou Dekmar told the LaGrange Daily News in August. “The police department has shepherded the task force, but the faith community has led the project. … We’ve heavily relied on them for these services.”
There will be pick up sites around the city of LaGrange for folks with no mode of transportation: the LaGrange Fire Departments at 1212 Hogansville Road and 215 Mooty Bridge Road, plus the LaGrange Police Department at 100 Haralson Street.
LPD officers will also be offering folks rides to the warming center as they come across them in the community, McCoy stated.
The LaGrange-Troup County Warming Center will open at 5 p.m. on Sunday in the New Ventures building at 150 Lukken Industrial Drive. The facility will close Monday morning around 8:00 a.m.
Anyone wishing to make a donation can write a check to Troup Transformations and drop it off at the LaGrange Police Department.
Organizations, churches and people wanting to volunteer their services at the warming center can contact Yvonne Lopez at 404-308-6005.
