KENNEWICK, Wash. – The cold weather the area has been experiencing can be deadly. Warming shelters across the region provide those who may not have one a warm place to go.
Marlando and Stephanie Sparks, the founders of Restoration Community Market, said people enter their shelter but leave as family.
Stephanie worried about those stuck on the streets during the extreme cold.
“I was worried about them,” Stephanie said. “I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I thought, you know what, we really need to open up a warming shelter.”
The Sparks’ said this is more than just the overnight stay for the homeless population in the Tri-Cities.
They offer meals, blankets, and clothing and even partner with local organizations for those battling addiction.
“People were saying, hey, I want to get off the streets,” Marlando Sparks said. “So, we contacted other individuals and organizations that came and helped us take people to detox. There was probably a good 11 individuals that came in these doors to get warm that left to go to detox or treatment.”
One person at the warming shelter who didn’t want to have their name used said he was evicted from his home and is now living in his van with his wife. Sparks said with the drop in temperatures, they took that man and his wife in. Stephanie said she’s overwhelmed by the support of the community.
“There were just cars pulling up from everywhere,” she said. “Bringing blankets, bringing food and bringing gloves. Everything that was needed, they supplied an abundance of it.”
Marlando said it’s not about him or his wife helping the community; all they did was open their doors.
