Community resources to stay warm in Ritzville, Othello

OTHELLO — With the severe weather of the last week and the next few days, those in need of shelter throughout the Columbia Basin can turn to public libraries during the day, but churches and community members generally step in where cities don’t have the resources. 

According to Deputy City Clerk Yvonne Hernandez, the city of Othello has not set up any warming centers or temporary shelters during the recent cold snap in the area. Hernandez said the city refers community members in need to local churches, primarily the Othello Church of the Nazarene. 

The church runs a program that assists community members called Helping Hands, partially operated by Othello resident and Port Commissioner Deena Vietzke.

“We had people come in yesterday, they literally wanted a motel. We can't afford to put everybody up in a $70 motel for a night,” Vietzke said. “So, the best that we have done for (individuals) is we do a hot meal once a month. And we do buy them propane. But that's about all.”

Vietzke said the church does not use the building as a shelter, nor can Helping Hands offer temporary shelter due to the cold weather, but they help by providing supplies and assistance in staying warm.

“We supply warm coats, blankets, socks and hygiene packages,” Vietzke said, “which include, all the shampoo, conditioners, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste hand wipes, just basic hygiene stuff.”

Helping Hands also refers individuals to the People For People transportation agency, which provides fare-free rides across the Columbia Basin. People For People transports from Othello to Moses Lake as well as from Ritzville to Moses Lake, with HopeSource’s Moses Lake Open Doors Sleep Center shelter as a specific destination. 

Vietzke said a homeless shelter or temporary shelter is a definite need in Othello. 

“A warming center would be great. I don't know if the church is the best place for it, but if it was, we would have to hire somebody to man it,” she said.

The church can’t start a shelter on its own, Vietzke said. 

“We would need help from the city, the county,” she said. “We do get funding from the county but that's for emergency housing only.”

Vietzke said Helping Hands can’t use the emergency housing funding to provide temporary shelter from the cold. 

“There's too many people, you know, we couldn't do that.”

Hernandez also said that the Othello Public Library might be another place to stay warm during its open hours, which run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

The city of Ritzville also does not set up any warming centers or temporary shelters, according to City Clerk and Treasurer Julie Flyckt. Flyckt said Ritzville didn’t have a large enough need to support the city setting up shelters during the cold weather.

“We don’t have a big response to that here,” she said. 

Flyckt said that the benefit of a smaller town is being able to help community members in need on more of a case-by-case basis, relying on being neighborly and people in the community helping out if individuals need it. 

Ritzville also has a public library which may be a safe space to spend time during the cold weather. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. 

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

    Cobblestone Avenue in Othello as it snows following severe cold weather in the region. Both the city of Othello and the city of Ritzville both refer potential community members in need to local resources within their respective communities.