The Snoqualmie Valley Winter Shelter moves to the Fall City United Methodist Church on March 8 and will remain there until April 30.

Jennifer Kirk, Valley Renewal Center’s shelter director, said the organization held two meetings at Fall City United Methodist Church, Feb. 18 and 20, to answer questions for citizens who may be concerned about the shelter moving to Fall City.

“Those meetings were a bit mixed, some people came for information and some people are against the program and against the shelter in general,” she said. “We saw that mix a little bit in the first meeting, the second one was very calm and straightforward.”

“There is always some concern when we move to a new community and we have never been in Fall City before, but I think we did a really good job answering questions and giving them access to ask more.”

According to Kirk, the general community is supportive of the program and just wanted information on how the shelter operates.

Currently located at the Snoqualmie United Methodist Church, the winter shelter has come to the end of its 60-day permitted stay. Valley Renewal Center staff has made plans to move to Fall City for the next two months. The time periods in which the shelter can stay in a community are determined by city and county ordinances, Kirk said.

“Those are usually based on the ordinances that the city has put into effect, we started in North Bend and their ordinances are for 45 days and Snoqualmie is 60 days. We will be there for exactly 60 days before we transition to Fall City,” she said.

In order to help the homeless community they serve, the winter shelter has partnered with the local bus service, Snoqualmie Valley Transportation, to adjust routes in Fall City. The adjustments will ensure that the buses drop off and pick up at the shelter. There will also be private transportation on the weekend.

Kirk also mentioned volunteers as an important part of shelter operations. Last year, volunteers brought food in the mornings and evenings every day and served more than 2,700 meals Kirk said.

Volunteers will be helping this year as well, not just with food, but with moving the shelter to the church in Fall City.

“We are so grateful to the churches that have hosted before, Mount Si Lutheran Church, Snoqualmie United Methodist and to the community as a whole,” Kirk said.