With temperatures hovering around freezing, warming centers can help people stay warm and safe from the elements this winter. 

Centers operate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. General walk-in hours begin at 8 p.m. daily.

A warming center is a short-term emergency shelter where people can go to stay warm when temperatures or wind chill become dangerously low.

Here’s a list of warming centers that are open through March 30

Unity Lutheran Church (single adults only), 1025 E. Oklahoma Ave. 

Guest House of Milwaukee (men only), 1216 N. 13th St. You can call 414-345-3240 for more information. 

Repairers of the Breach (single adults only), 1335 W. Vliet St. You can call 414-934-9305 for more information. 

Milwaukee Rescue Mission (men only), 830 N. 19th St. You can call 414-344-2211 for more information. 

St. Ben’s Parish, 930 W. State St. You can contact 414-271-0135 for more information. 

Joy House (women and families), 818 N. 19th St. You can call 414-344-3774 for more information. 

For questions about a particular warming center, contact the organization itself. 

For more emergency or long-term resources, you can reach out to Milwaukee County’s Coordinated Entry team. Coordinated Entry is available 24/7 by dialing 211, texting your ZIP code to TXT-211 or visiting 211 Wisconsin. 

Here are places where adults can receive free winter coats and other winter gear

MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary Doorway Ministry

The ministry hands out basic needs items, clothing and winter gear at 2461 W. Center St. on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You can contact the ministry at 414-404-0600. Donations are accepted on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. More information here.

Repairers of the Breach

Repairers of the Breach has an open clothing pantry from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Mondays and as needed for emergencies at 1335 W. Vliet St. You can contact them at 414-342-9323. The organization also accepts donations of hats, gloves, scarves and coats between 7:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday. More information here.

Capuchin Community Services

Capuchin Community Services distributes clothing and winter gear at the Clothing Closet by appointment from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at House of Peace, 1702 W. Walnut St. To schedule an appointment, call 414-933-1300. 

Find out how you can help by visiting the Milwaukee Coalition on Housing & Homelessness website here.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

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As temperatures drop, here is where you can find shelter from the cold and free winter gear

by PrincessSafiya Byers, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
December 8, 2025

<h1>As temperatures drop, here is where you can find shelter from the cold and free winter gear</h1> <p class="byline">by PrincessSafiya Byers, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service <br />December 8, 2025</p> <p>With temperatures hovering around freezing, warming centers can help people stay warm and safe from the elements this winter.&nbsp;</p> <p>Centers operate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. General walk-in hours begin at 8 p.m. daily.</p> <p>A warming center is a short-term emergency shelter where people can go to stay warm when temperatures or wind chill become dangerously low.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Here’s a list of warming centers that are open through March 30</strong></h2> <p>Unity Lutheran Church (single adults only), 1025 E. Oklahoma Ave.&nbsp;</p> <p>Guest House of Milwaukee (men only), 1216 N. 13th St. You can call 414-345-3240 for more information.&nbsp;</p> <p>Repairers of the Breach (single adults only), 1335 W. Vliet St. You can call 414-934-9305 for more information.&nbsp;</p> <p>Milwaukee Rescue Mission (men only), 830 N. 19th St. You can call 414-344-2211 for more information.&nbsp;</p> <p>St. Ben’s Parish, 930 W. State St. You can contact 414-271-0135 for more information.&nbsp;</p> <p>Joy House (women and families), 818 N. 19th St. You can call 414-344-3774 for more information.&nbsp;</p> <p>For questions about a particular warming center, contact the organization itself.&nbsp;</p> <p>For more emergency or long-term resources, you can reach out to Milwaukee County’s Coordinated Entry team. Coordinated Entry is available 24/7 by dialing 211, texting your ZIP code to TXT-211 or visiting 211 Wisconsin.&nbsp;</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Here are places where adults can receive free winter coats and other winter gear</strong></h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/G84A1853-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-136225" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Winter accessories sit in a bin ready to be donated at Repairers of the Breach. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="https://www.mbsanctuary.org/provide_food_security/doorway_ministry.php"><strong>MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary Doorway Ministry</strong></a></p> <p>The ministry hands out basic needs items, clothing and winter gear at 2461 W. Center St. on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You can contact the ministry at 414-404-0600. Donations are accepted on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. <a href="https://www.mbsanctuary.org/provide_food_security/doorway_ministry.php">More information here</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.repairers.org/"><strong>Repairers of the Breach</strong></a></p> <p>Repairers of the Breach has an open clothing pantry from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Mondays and as needed for emergencies at 1335 W. Vliet St. You can contact them at 414-342-9323. The organization also accepts donations of hats, gloves, scarves and coats between 7:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday. <a href="http://www.repairers.org/">More information here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.capuchincommunityservices.org/en/services/clothes/"><strong>Capuchin Community Services</strong></a></p> <p>Capuchin Community Services distributes clothing and winter gear at the Clothing Closet by appointment from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at House of Peace, 1702 W. Walnut St. To schedule an appointment, call 414-933-1300.&nbsp;</p> <p>Find out how you can help by visiting the <a href="https://www.milwaukeecoc.com">Milwaukee Coalition on Housing &amp; Homelessness</a> website here.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <p><em>Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.catchlight.io/local"><em>CatchLight Local&nbsp;</em></a><em>and&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/"><em>Report for America</em></a><em>.</em></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2025/12/08/as-temperatures-drop-here-is-where-you-can-find-shelter-from-the-cold-and-free-winter-gear/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org&quot;&gt;Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-NNS-Favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=136224&amp;amp;ga4=G-HGM4XK3QCM&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2025/12/08/as-temperatures-drop-here-is-where-you-can-find-shelter-from-the-cold-and-free-winter-gear/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/milwaukeenns.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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