Lexington County church opens up warming center as temperatures drop

[Update: The warming center at Radius Church White Knoll will remain open Sunday, Jan. 21,  maintaining the same 7 p.m.-7 a.m. hours as the previous two nights.]

With temperatures dipping into the 20s and teens this weekend, a local church in the Red Bank area has decided to open a warming center for anyone in need. 

Radius Church White Knoll, located at 5181 Platt Springs Rd., will open its doors Jan. 19-20 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day.

The warming center is open to anyone who needs a warm and safe spot, whether due to being homeless or impoverished or simply in need of heat. The National Weather Service is predicting that temperatures will drop to a low of 23 degrees Friday night and 17 degrees Saturday night. Temperatures are also supposed to go low Sunday night, when it’s predicted to dip to 21 degrees.

As of now, the church doesn’t have plans to extend warming center hours to Sunday night.

“We are so excited to see other people wanting to support this type of ministry. We will need snacks, bottled water, hot chocolate, air mattresses or cots, towels, blankets and toiletry items,” Radius’ White Knoll Campus Pastor John Ptak said.

He asked people not to drop off clothes unless they have winter jackets. People can leave any of the requested items at the church during warming center hours or at Radius Lexington between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, and 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19.

As for volunteers, if there is anyone “trained in recovery or addiction-type counseling willing to spend a few hours to volunteer,” it would be helpful for the church. However, all volunteers “willing to sit, listen and talk” are welcomed to help out. 

Ptak said they are doing this “because God tells us in John 13:35 to … love one another.”

“We know we can’t fix the problem,” he added, specifically regarding homelessness, “but it starts with learning their name.”

The warming center on Platt Springs Rd. is the only one in the county Ptak and others are aware of. Lexington County Sheriff’s Office’s Public Information Officer Capt. Adam Myrick and Lexington County’s Public Information Officer Jessica Imbimbo both said they are not aware of other warming centers in the area. 

“Additional centers are prepared to open in the event Radius Church reaches capacity,” Imbimbo said.

This isn’t the first time Radius Church White Knoll has opened their doors to those in need. 

Ptak said the congregation held a Thanksgiving meal last year as well as a Christmas meal. After the Christmas meal, he didn’t want to just push the people away so the church opened its gym and let people stay awhile. 

“There are several camps of homeless individuals in our area,” the pastor said, noting one being behind the Walmart in Red Bank. “These people live in the shadows. We drive by them every day and don’t see them.”