MARLIN, Texas — “The shelter is for them to come in when it's hot and get cool, and when it's cool to come in and get warm. They can also come in and get a hot meal and just sit and relax and watch TV,” Shamera Kirk said.
This Marlin shelter is more than your average warming center.
Offering food, water, and a place to get warm, the J&K Warming Shelter is doing its best to provide for those in the community.
This location was originally supposed to be a daycare, but after owner Betty Jefferson saw the need for shelters in her area, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
“She saw a lot of people coming in and out that were homeless or they would come in just to get out the heat or come in here to sit down to get out the cold so she decided to open a warming and cooling shelter,” Kirk said.
The J&K shelter has been a help to the Marlin community all year long.
“It has helped out a lot. We recently had a fire in Marlin and the shelter housed some people. We also provided money for them to get motels just to have somewhere to stay,” Kirk said.
The J&K Center told 25 News that they’ve seen an increase in visitors since the start of the cold front.
The shelter is located at 110 Church Street and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It’s the first shelter in Marlin and we hope to be around for a while,” Kirk said.
SEE MORE: List of warming centers in Central Texas and the Brazos Valley
