KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Major Sheryl Hershey fills one of the coffee makers at the warming center at the Salvation Army in Williamsport.

There is no other way to put it-temperatures are getting brutal out there. Forecasts of below zero temperatures plunging even farther with wind chills factored in, makes finding a warm spot to spend even a few hours more critical for people who might not have a permanent home.

Since late last year when colder temperatures arrived, the Salvation Army has been operating a warming center to offer a respite from the cold.

Open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, the center is located at 457 Market St. It runs now through March.

“They can come in, sit…have a cup of coffee, a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Whatever they might want, to get warm,” said Major Sheryl Hershey, Corps officer and pastor at the local Salvation Army.

Guests can also take the opportunity, while they are there, to charge their cell phones. The Salvation Army will provide them with a blanket and hygiene products, if needed, and hats and gloves, if they are available so that they can stay warm once they leave, Hershey said. She noted that donations of hats and gloves are always welcome.

“I know that a lot of our clients are coming from the shelter that closes in the morning and then there are other homeless people that are just homeless, that are outside,” she said, adding, “and just people who want to get warm.”

“It’s open to anybody who wants to come in…and warm up,” she added.

There is no meal provided, but snacks are given if they are available.

The Salvation Army has a history of helping in times of crisis and the warming center is just one of the examples of their work.

“This is something that the Salvation Army does throughout the world,” Hershey said.

“We also open cooling centers in the summertime. It kind of stems from our emergency disaster program where we go out and we serve people during fires or during floods or whatever the issue might be where we can serve them,” she said.

Although she said she’s not sure where the idea originated, Hershey noted that “it’s just something that we have always done here when it’s cold.”

“We open up and allow people to just come in and sit and get warm,” she said.

As yet, not too many people have taken advantage of this service, Hershey said, at least compared to last year when they averaged 10 to 15 people per day.

“They would come in and just sit in here and socialize with each other. Some of them actually made new friends, which was nice. They come in, sit around the table, have a cup of coffee and chit chat,” she said of last year’s group.

The Salvation Army also operates a food pantry where Hershey noted that there has definitely been an increase in the number of persons seeking help with food insecurity.

“We’ve seen an increase…where people are needing food because their food stamps were cut in half or whatever,” she said. “The jump in number is that they’re coming in for food and most of them have residences (although) some of them are homeless that come in and get food. We make sure that we show them what they can pick so that they know how to cook whatever they have,” she said.