HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Open Doors in Harrisonburg is looking for a temporary location for its thermal shelter because the city’s permanent shelter is still not ready.

Executive Director Nate Riddle said Open Doors planned for glitches, such as the shelter not opening on time, but the biggest piece of the puzzle was never found.

“Now that we need a secondary or interim location, that remains the biggest piece of the puzzle that is still missing,” Riddle said. “Our team and assists have been positioned to be deployed to a temporary location, we are just waiting for that location to be found.”

Historically, the thermal season starts in the first week of November. Riddle said he hopes to start the second week of the month. With the organization without a venue, the start of the season will be further delayed.

“It’s frustrating… I’m trying to remind myself that I’m not the one who desperately needs this,” Riddle said. “We have neighbors, we have community members who are currently eligible. “Thank God, the weather is warmer than seasonal norms, but this will not last for a long time.”

Open Doors works with people who need this shelter year-round, Riddle said. He said moving beyond frustration and empathizing with people needing shelter pushed the team to find temporary space. But one of the biggest requirements for finding one is flexibility.

“There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t look at some facilities or talk to someone who owns a property that might work,” Riddle said. “We have reviewed nearly two dozen facilities in the city, but we continue to encounter obstacles.”

The Navigation Center is still coming, but Riddle said a delay is unacceptable this time of year.

“There will come a time when thermal shelter will be more necessary today than it was in the 70s,” Riddle said. “It’s frustrating because this is not an Open Door complication. This is not a city complication. This is an oversight by the project management team.”

Riddle said Open Doors‘ case management team is available and can be reached at 358 S. Main St. in Harrisonburg. at St. You can be reached at Stephen’s office. Riddle said staff is available to work at a shelter and is preparing for the Navigation Center facility when it is ready.

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