FLINT, November 25, 2025 – Shelter of Flint will open its doors on December 1 to meet the
community need for a safe and secure nighttime warming center for women and children. The
center will operate at its family emergency shelter, located at 924 Cedar Street in Flint.
Nighttime warming services will be available to single women and women with children from
5 – 9 every night between December 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, with a capacity of 47 people.
“Shelter of Flint saw a need, and, together with a great number of community partners, were able to get a
center up and running in a very short time.” said Shelly Hoffman, vice president and Chief Operating Officer of Shelter of Flint, “
Linda Bielskis, president & CEO of Shelter of Flint noted: “When we learned of this gap in service, we knew we had to step up to help and be part of the solution. This is what we do – make sure families are inside and safe.”
Shelter of Flint’s nighttime warming center is part of the community’s safety net and complements the efforts of its partners.
Other warming facilities on offer include:
Catholic Charities offers the community’s daytime warming center, located at the Center for Hope. This is open to all populations from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. every day, with lunch at 11:30 a.m. Men, and single men with children will be welcomed by Catholic Charities at the Center for Hope’s nighttime warming center. It will open for check-in at 6 p.m. every night. Those wishing to use the facility should arrive before 7 p.m. for entry. It is open until 8 a.m. with capacity for 98 people.
My Brother’s Keeper has opened its facility to an additional 10 single men for nighttime warming. Their check-in is at 4 p.m., with an 8 a.m. exit.
“Knowing that there is going to be increased demand this year due to a shortage of affordable
housing, a challenging economy and federal funding cuts, the community has taken an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to meeting that demand,” said Shelly Hoffman.
Assistance in readying these warming centers was provided by the City of Flint’s Fire Marshal, the United Way of Genesee County and the Executive Committee of the Continuum of Care.
Even with all of these facilities, the need may outweigh capacity. Carriage Town Ministries is on standby for potential overflow facilities, and a larger facility is being planned should an even greater need arise.
“We just want to make sure everyone is safe and warm this winter,” said Linda Bielskis.
###
About Shelter of Flint
Shelter of Flint is a nonprofit homelessness services agency serving the Genesee County community. In operation since 1983, Shelter of Flint offers a 70-bed emergency family shelter, a permanent supportive housing program, and a street outreach team. Shelter of Flint envisions a community where everyone has the opportunity to live in safe, sustainable housing, and all of its work is centered around fulfilling this vision.
