JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
You might think of Reno, Nevada as a hot, sunbaked town, but the high desert climate means a big swing from summer to winter, and people without shelter face freezing temperatures. As part of our series, Here to Help, reporter Fil Corbitt met with someone bringing people in from the cold.
(SOUNDBITE OF TRAFFIC IN RAIN)
FIL CORBITT: On a recent evening in Reno, the rain lets up after sunset and the headlights of passing cars reflect on the wet pavement. It's cold, and about 25 people line up behind the Catholic Church. When the clock strikes 9, they're welcomed inside by Lilith Baran (ph).
(SOUNDBITE OF FOOTSTEPS)
CORBITT: Baran wears a black leather jacket with patches sewn on the back. She is one of the organizers of Good Neighbors Warming Center.
LILITH BARAN: We can see when folks are able to access a good night's sleep, their cognitive ability improves. Their mood improves, and hopefully, their lifespan is extended.
CORBITT: Washoe County offers beds at a county-run shelter and some additional overflow beds, but Baran says it's outside of downtown, where most of the people who are homeless live. Good Neighbors Warming Center is in downtown, and it's a collaborative effort between local mutual aid groups and several churches.
BARAN: Yeah. It's really interesting because, although we might have different walks of life - some people are, you know, radical, mutual aid people, some people are advocates, some people are churchgoers - but I think we all have the same thing in common, which is that we want to see people cared for, and we want to treat everyone the way we would want to be treated. And at the end of the day, that's really all that matters.
CORBITT: The warming center is just one piece in a constellation of mutual aid efforts led by Baran. She also runs a community refrigerator in her front yard and distributes DIY heaters for people sleeping outside. Back in the basement of the church, Alanah Fanning (ph) is checking people in for the night.
ALANAH FANNING: It's rainy, wet and cold. I, myself - I have on three sweatshirts and three sweat pants just because I get so cold, so I couldn't even imagine having to be out there in this.
CORBITT: Fanning has been working here with Baran since last year.
FANNING: Her vision works. It's not overly complicated. We're just housing people. And she's a mastermind, and I have so much respect for her.
CORBITT: As people stream inside, Baran hands out little bags with toiletries and extra clothing. She knows how big of a difference a little support can make.
BARAN: I experienced homelessness in 2020 with my son and had to live in my car. And though I am, you know, an educated, problem-solving person, the only reason that I'm not still homeless right now is because I had friends with money that could help me get on my feet. And so I kind of just want to be the person that I needed and try to figure out some of these problems that are not being solved by government.
CORBITT: Here at the Good Neighbors Warming Center, there are 25 quilt-covered cots lined up in rows. Baran and the others will do this every night through winter.
BARAN: There is hope in giving back, and there's hope in receiving back and just being a part of something. You don't have time to despair when you're a part of something.
CORBITT: Baran says it's not that complicated. Hungry people need food. Homeless people need housing. And she says everyone has the power to help.
For NPR News, I'm Fil Corbitt in Reno.
(SOUNDBITE OF JAY DEE AND J DILLA SONG, "THINK TWICE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.