Hibben cold shelter keeps neighbors warm

By Amanda Moore

MOUNT PLEASANT—“I blame Carlsen,” jokes the Rev. Katie Brock Lesh, associate pastor at Hibben United Methodist Church.

When Hibben UMC’s cold shelter team started planning for the season, there was discussion of moving their opening temperature from 34 degrees to 36 degrees or higher. This tiny change would mean the shelter could be open to guests more nights.

“In 2022 and 2023 season, we had only been open about five nights. I wanted to do more and be open more,” team leader and member Carlsen Huey explained.

The Mount Pleasant church had already been open 13 nights this season before the January snowstorm hit. Below average overnight temperatures opened the shelter starting Jan. 20. It stayed open four additional nights and two days.

The shelter opened again in February for two nights for a season total of 23.

Dozens of volunteers stepped up in those frigid five days of January, some staying multiple days and nights to keep the shelter running.

“Opening our shelter requires us to step out of our comfort zone and offer someone those things we may take for granted—a warm place to sleep, a warm shower, a warm meal—to people we may not encounter every day,” said Brock Lesh.

The doors to Hibben’s Christian Life and Learning Center open when the overnight temperature is below 34 degrees. Guests are offered a bed with fresh linens, fresh towels and a shower, plus a hot meal. A hot breakfast and bagged lunch are served in the morning before guests depart.

Opening the shelter for long stretches and full days can be challenging.

“On our first night, we exceeded our capacity and we had to work with other shelters to transport guests to a shelter that had room, all while the snow and ice were starting to gather,” Brock Lesh said. “The weather definitely complicated matters since we couldn’t take guests back to where they came from and we had issues with our volunteers unable to get to us. As challenging as it was, our guests were extremely appreciative of having a place to stay. Some of them even lended a hand volunteering to clean up our dining areas and bathrooms.”

The shelter is a great resource for people in need but has also been a great way to show how churches can care for the entire community. Many volunteers come from other churches and groups.

Huey said it takes about 70 volunteers to run the shelter each night. Bethel UMC, Charleston, sends a cleanup crew each morning so the CLLC can be reset for the two schools Hibben houses.

“Converting an overnight shelter to a school facility in a 75-minute window is nothing short of miraculous,” said Polly Graham, team leader.

Other congregations prepare dinner to give a break to the kitchen team. The Charleston Port and Seafarers Society lends a hand with transportation.

Graham said the team would love to partner with other churches in similar ways.

The care provided doesn’t have a religious, denominational or generational boundary. Hibben shelter team leaders see the desire to help from the business community and local governments alike.

“Trader Joes is our most consistent commercial donor. They send three to five large boxes of food each day. Fields to Families is a nonprofit that gets us a lot of produce,” said Huey.

He jokes the meal planning is like being on “Chopped” or “Iron Chef”: “You get a bunch of different things and figure out how to make it a meal.”

It’s not cheap to feed 20-60 people two hot meals and a bagged lunch. Huey estimates it would cost about $35 per guest if he had to buy all the food and ingredients needed each night.

“With all the donations we get from church members, the community and stores, it probably costs $3 per person,” Huey said.

Regardless of where they come from, the love volunteers bring is evident.

“You can feel a genuine sense of care our volunteers put into every cot that is made, dish that is served, and conversation around the dinner table,” said Brock Lesh.

She said guests have told her coming to the shelter feels like coming home because of how welcomed they feel.

Hibben started the shelter in 2011 after finding an unhoused woman living on the property. Early team members worked with her to find permanent housing and stability. She later became an involved member and volunteer of Hibben. This first encounter shined a light on a need, even within the affluent town.

“The first night the shelter opened its doors, we hosted four guests,” remembers Graham.

Other local organizations soon followed. Warming shelters have opened in North Charleston, Summerville and Goose Creek, all offering a safe, warm and grace-filled night for their neighbors.

Living in a temperate climate can mean there aren’t many cold nights. But when there are, people need someplace to go. While the need is great, so is the opportunity to respond to God’s call to love others.

“I would encourage every church to consider the ways they may be able to open their doors to those in need. Reach out to other churches in the community, make connections within your city and work together to make sure that no one is left out in the cold,” said Brock Lesh.

When at the shelter she often recalls Matthew 25 in which Jesus reminds us that whenever we serve the least of these, we are serving Christ.

She remembers one guest commenting, “When I walk in here, and see the work you’re doing, I see love and I see Jesus. Thank you.”