Turning Point continues program to keep people out of extreme cold

As winter continues to set in and temperatures drop, Turning Point of Wareham’s program to get homeless people out of the cold is returning.

The Emergency Response Plan is a program the Wareham-based non-profit started three years ago that allows Turning Point to get homeless people into area motels for two to three nights during bouts of extreme cold.

“Three years ago we had a very deep cold spell and we brought some homeless people in to protect them and we designed the program around that,” Turning Point President and CEO Chuck McCullough said.

In previous years, temperatures would have to drop below 20 degrees for three days for the plan to activate but this year, the requirement to activate the plan changed from 20 to 25 degrees over 36 hours.

McCullough said the change came as a result of the “realization that 36 hours of temperatures never rising above 25 degrees is pretty severe.”

He added threats of blizzards, flooding and other similar strong storms would also activate the plan.

While the criteria to activate the plan has not yet been met this winter, McCullough said since the program’s start Turning Point has helped get 200 beds filled with people.

The program began after the Nights of Hospitality program ended after 13 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was run by local clergy who housed people seven nights a week for 13 weeks during the winter.

The program is largely funded by the “Walk for the Homeless” organized by the Wareham Clergy Association every May and Turning Point received a grant from Southcoast Health as well.

This past May, the walk raised $14,346 for Turning Point.