Local Churches Provide Warm Nights to Those in Need

has a strong tradition of financially supporting those who go hungry in the area. Last week, the community took its support a step further by opening its doors nightly to about 30 guests in need of food, friendship and shelter.

“We have always had a real passion for hunger programs,” said Steve Esmacher, coordinator of Warm Nights at Holy Trinity. “Our Hunger Committee is really good at raising money. What it [hadn’t done] is a hands-on programs, and this is the next step.”

The desire to be a Warm Nights host began last year when a group volunteered to help at another parish. Even though the event was snowed out, “the enthusiasm was so intense, we decided to do it on our own,” Esmacher said.

Holy Trinity is one of six churches in Bowie that is participating in Warm Nights from November to April, said Korey Brady, shelter manager for Community Crisis Services, Inc., the county organization that runs Warm Nights.

This week, the will participate in the  program, one of 34 churches in Prince George's County that provide a rotation of shelters.

Each location agrees to host at least 30 guests for a week, providing breakfast, dinner and a place to sleep, Brady said. However, most locations go beyond these requirements and provide bag lunches for the guests as well as various seminars, he added.

For example, Holy Trinity provided a sewing ministry through which volunteers repaired articles of clothing for the guests, said Vicki Esmacher, a parishioner of Holy Trinity.

Throughout the week, the parish also brought in a dental hygienist, a hair dresser and someone to help in resume writing. Students in the day school decorated placemats for the guests.

“This is a milestone event for our community,” Vicki Esmacher said. “It’s bringing us all together.”

And the guests seemed pleased with the accommodations.

“All the Church people have been really great,” said David Mullikin, who was born and raised in Bowie.

Everyone was “really nice, all of them,” said Carl Sorrell, another guest. “It’s been good. They are nice, nice people.”

One volunteer, Camille Dawson, who is a member of the school board, helped serve a ham dinner to guests on Thursday. More than 100 volunteers offered to help throughout the week, and different groups from the parish, such as the school board and choir, took on dinner-duty every night.

“We just wanted to do something for the community,” Dawson said. “We wanted to help feed people who are in need and give them a place to stay that’s warm. I hope this is something we will do again.”