Fresno Opens Multiple Warming Centers Through Friday Amid Cold Snap

The City of Fresno opened three community centers as warming centers beginning Thursday and will keep them open through Friday after forecasts called for overnight lows near 35°F, meeting the city's ordinance trigger. The centers are free and open to anyone and will operate from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., with the FAX bus system offering free rides along normal routes to the centers' neighborhoods.

The centers are Ted C. Wills Community Center at 770 N. San Pablo, Mosqueda Community Center at 4670 E. Butler Avenue, and Maxie L. Parks Community Center at 1802 E. California Avenue (listed in some reports as Maxie L. Park Community Center). At Ted C. Wills staff unpacked stacks of blankets and set up rows of cots accommodating 100 people to shelter residents from the frigid conditions.

City policy requires community centers to open as warming centers when forecasted temperatures drop below 35°F under Resolution #2023-320, and the determination to open is made based on the National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley Office forecast. The ordinance also governs cooling centers, which open when forecasts predict temperatures of 105°F or higher and operate from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Public transportation to the centers is available without fare during activations. Riders may board any FAX bus and tell the driver they would like to go to the nearest warming center and receive a ride to the neighborhood of that center free of charge. The Fresno-Madera Area Agency on Aging lists its office at 2520 W Shaw Lane, #101A, Fresno, CA 93711, and provides a contact phone at 559-214-0299 and email admin@fmaaa.org for outreach to seniors and caregivers who may need assistance.

Local nonprofits are supplementing the city-run centers as demand for shelter rises. Fresno Mission, which is running a Winter Crisis Shelter Project that describes plans for 90 consecutive nights of shelter, said the closures of dozens of other shelters have left more people with nowhere to go. Matthew Dildine, Fresno Mission CEO, said, “Also for that reason, we don't see a decrease in the demand for people accessing our warming centers.”

Service providers on site highlighted food and hospitality alongside shelter. Sara Mirhadi, Chief Programs Officer of the Poverello House and warming center supervisor, said, “When the people come in, they're greeted with a warm smile, a warm meal, and a warm place.” Fresno Mission materials emphasize cots, blankets and hot meals and urge donations with lines such as “No Child Will Face the Cold Alone” and “Every gift keeps the doors open, the lights on, and our neighbors safe from the cold.”

The Fresno Fire Department is tracking an increase in fire incidents tied to unsafe heating during cold nights. Josh Sellers with the Fresno Fire Department warned, “Whether or not that's folks from the homeless community or just regular everyday folks that are trying to stay warm and having accidents,” underscoring fire risk as Valley lows edge toward near-freezing temperatures.

City officials and service providers say the warming centers are meant to be temporary refuge while the cold snap persists; residents seeking shelter can go directly to the centers at the addresses above or board any FAX bus and request a ride to the nearest warming center. For elders and caregivers, the Fresno-Madera Area Agency on Aging office at 2520 W Shaw Lane and phone 559-214-0299 can provide additional assistance.