To the Editor:

I am very disappointed that the opening of the Union County Warming Station has been delayed. The first location for the warming station two years ago was at Zion Lutheran Church when I was the pastor there. It was a trial run for just a couple of months. When a neighbor objected to the location, the council decided that future locations for the warming station should not be in residential areas.

The Union County Warming Station Board dutifully sought locations with commercial zoning and this year found one on Third Street. Now some members of the business community are objecting. If the warming station can’t be in a residential area or a commercial area, where can it be?

Every community has people who are without a place to stay, and La Grande is no exception. We can decide to ignore them and hope they don’t cause too much of a nuisance, or we can provide a place for them to gather, a bed for the night, a warm meal, physical resources, emotional support and referrals for assistance. In La Grande, a large group of volunteers has decided that the latter is the best course of action. They need your support.

I am convinced that the citizens of La Grande are people of good will and that we can come together to solve the issue of the Union County Warming Station location in a timely manner. The nights are already very cold for someone without shelter.

Rev. Colleen Nelson

Retired Pastor

La Grande