Comfort Centers are short-term, usually only day-use locations where community members can go in the event of a community emergency. Community Centers can serve as places to get information, as charging stations, as places to stay out of extreme heat or cold in the event of power outages, and places to get water and refreshment.
Congregations serving as comfort centers should consider these action steps:
- Contact local municipal emergency management to determine if a comfort center is needed in your community. If it is determined a comfort center would be helpful, then…
- Designate decision makers and the process for opening a comfort center
- Inform LDR-EPA that the comfort center is available by contacting Julia Frank at 215-430-1299 or jfrank@libertylutheran.org
- Consider the use of generators
- Decide what staff or volunteers will be responsible for running the comfort center
- Make decisions about capacity based on things like available space and bathrooms.
- Consider accessibility to public transit
- Consider supplies for children such as diapers, games, space to run around
- Have available:
- Water
- Snacks
- Charging stations
- Share that the comfort center is open via social media and outreach by flyers to people who are housing insecure.
Originally published by Julia Frank, Lutheran Disaster Response