Warming Centers: Stay Connected
Temporary overnight warming centers provide safe, warm shelter during the most dangerous winter weather events in Knox County. Hosted by local congregations and community partners, warming centers help ensure that no one has to face life-threatening cold temperatures alone.
Warming centers are part of a broader community response that includes emergency shelters, seasonal shelter programs, transportation assistance, volunteers, and partner organizations working together to protect vulnerable neighbors during extreme weather.
Every warming center begins with a community organization willing to say yes. Whether you're interested in hosting a warming center, supporting an existing site, or learning more about how the system works, we want to connect with you.
Could Your Organization Serve as a Warming Center?
We provide:
- Training
- Operational guidance
- Overnight security
- Planning assistance
- Ongoing coordination (help with transportation, food, medical care, and more)
Considering Becoming a Warming Center? Contact Us: katie.mcilwain@knoxtnhousing.org
Not Ready to Host a Warming Center?
Organizations can still make a major impact by:
- Providing transportation
- Preparing meals
- Morning cleanup teams
- Volunteer recruitment
- Supply drives
- Financial support
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Knoxville-Knox County winter shelter system?
Every winter, members of our community face dangerous cold-weather conditions without safe indoor shelter. Knoxville-Knox County's winter response is coordinated through partnerships between local government, congregations, nonprofits, volunteers, and community organizations. Through this collaborative approach, the community is able to provide temporary overnight warming-center capacity during periods of dangerous cold weather. These efforts connect vulnerable residents with resources, prevent unsafe conditions and save lives.
The winter shelter system includes:
- year-round emergency shelter,
- seasonal overnight shelter,
- and temporary overnight warming centers.
Each part of the system serves a different role, allowing the community to respond flexibly and sustainably throughout the winter season.
What is the difference between shelters and warming centers?
Emergency Shelters
Emergency shelters, such as Knox Area Rescue Ministries, operate every night, year-round.
Seasonal Shelters
Seasonal shelters, such as ReLAUNCH, operate nightly during the winter season regardless of temperature.
Temporary Overnight Warming Centers
Warming centers are volunteer-led sites that open during periods of extreme cold to provide additional overnight indoor capacity.
Warming centers supplement, but do not replace, emergency and seasonal shelter capacity.
When do warming centers open?
Warming centers activate when overnight temperatures are forecasted to reach 25°F or below, volunteer capacity allowing.
This threshold was developed in partnership with community organizations and faith partners to help ensure warming centers can:
- operate safely,
- remain sustainable throughout the winter season (December - February),
- and preserve emergency surge capacity during the most dangerous cold-weather events.
Why don't warming centers open when nighttime temperatures are 32F or below?
Warming centers are volunteer-operated emergency sites designed for the coldest, most dangerous weather events. Opening nightly throughout the winter would require significantly more volunteers, funding, staffing, transportation, and host facilities than are currently available.
Knox County's winter response therefore uses a layered approach:
- Emergency shelters operate year-round.
- Seasonal shelter capacity expands during winter.
- Additional overflow options activate during cold weather.
- Warming centers activate during the most dangerous weather events.
This approach allows our community of partners to sustain emergency response throughout the season while preserving capacity for extreme weather events.
Which organizations currently participate in the winter response?
Emergency Shelter
- Knox Area Rescue Ministries
- Salvation Army
Seasonal Shelter
- ReLAUNCH
Temporary Overnight Warming Centers
- Church Street United Methodist Church
- Cokesbury Church
- Eternal Life Harvest Center
Who can access warming centers?
Warming centers do not require identification and do not conduct background checks.
Guests must generally be able to complete activities of daily living (ADLs) independently.
Pet accommodations vary by site and are shared in operational updates when centers activate.
What are warming center hours?
Hours vary slightly by site, but generally include:
- Evening check-in beginning around 6:00-7:00 pm
- Overnight indoor shelter
- Morning check-out around 7:00-8:00 am
Operational details are shared in activation notices.
How do people get to warming centers?
On the nights warming centers activate, free Knoxville Area Transit transportation is typically available beginning in the afternoon.
Transportation details are shared in activation updates.
How many people are sheltered during severe weather?
During recent severe weather periods, approximately 470-760 individuals per night were sheltered across the Knoxville-Knox County system, including emergency shelter, seasonal shelter and warming centers.
Highest documented nightly total:
- 757 individuals sheltered
(Data period: December 14, 2025 - January 26, 2026)
During recent severe weather activations, community partners successfully coordinated sufficient overnight capacity so individuals were not turned away due to warming-center space limitations.
How are warming centers kept safe?
Approved warming center sites participate in a life-safety and operational approval process coordinated with the Knoxville Fire Department and the Office of Housing Stability.
This process helps ensure:
- safe occupancy levels,
- clear emergency exits,
- and safe temporary overnight operations.
Depending on operational needs, additional support may also include:
- overnight security staffing,
- transportation coordination,
- volunteer training,
- and coordination with community and medical partners.
Can organizations or congregations become warming center sites?
Potentially, yes.
Community organizations interested in supporting the winter response may be able to participate by:
- hosting a warming center,
- supporting an existing site,
- providing volunteers,
- donating meals or supplies,
- or assisting with transportation and logistics.
Organizations interested in exploring participation should contact the Office of Housing Stability. LINK to Consider Becoming a Warming Center page/section
What role does ReLAUNCH play in the system?
ReLAUNCH provides important seasonal overnight shelter capacity throughout the winter season regardless of temperature.
This helps reduce pressure on temporary warming centers and allows volunteer-led warming sites to focus on emergency cold-weather activation during the most dangerous weather conditions.
How does the winter response fit into the community's solutions for homelessness?
The winter response system is primarily a life-safety response during dangerous weather conditions.
Long-term homelessness solutions involve a broad set of local and regional funding and efforts, including:
- housing programs,
- behavioral health services,
- substance-use treatment,
- employment supports,
- and long-term case management.
How are updates shared?
Activation notices and operational updates are distributed through: Office of Housing Stability warming-center bulletins, partner communications, social media, and community partner networks.