Warming Shelters Open Across Tulsa Amid Freezing Temperatures

Tulsa outreach teams and shelters, including pop-up sites at the Rose Bowl and Tulsa Dream Center, are providing warmth, meals, and resources to support the homeless community during the extreme cold.

Monday, January 6th 2025, 5:34 am

By: MaKayla Glenn

TULSA, Okla. -

Outreach teams across Tulsa are working hard to ensure everyone has a warm place to stay during the cold snap. Several warming shelters have opened their doors, providing refuge for those who need it most.

Q: What is the Rose Bowl usually used for, and how is it helping now?

A: The Rose Bowl is typically used as an after-school program for kids. However, for the next few nights, it is transforming into a shelter for 200 homeless individuals in need of warmth and safety. It’s one of two pop-up shelters now serving the homeless during this extreme cold.

Q: What can people expect if they stay at the Rose Bowl shelter?

A: Guests at the Rose Bowl warming shelter will receive three meals a day, clothes, a blanket, and a cot to sleep on. It’s a full support system for those without shelter during this cold weather.

Q: Who is running the pop-up shelters in Tulsa?

A: Several agencies, including the Tulsa Day Center and Housing Solutions Tulsa, are working together to manage these shelters and provide additional resources to those in need.

Josh Sanders with the Tulsa Day Center says this initiative provides an incredible opportunity for people in need to connect with case managers from various agencies. Sanders says these relationships can help individuals transition out of homelessness and find long-term support.

Q: Are there other shelters open in Tulsa during this cold weather?

A: Yes, the Tulsa Day Center, John 3:16 Mission, and the Salvation Army in Downtown Tulsa are open 24/7 as warming stations. The Denver Avenue MetroLink Station is also open from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additionally, the Tulsa Dream Center is operating as a pop-up shelter this week.

(Note: While the Denver Avenue MetroLink Station is open for transportation service, it will not be able to serve as a warming station.)

Q: What should people do if they see someone in distress during these freezing temperatures?

A: The City of Tulsa encourages the public to call 9-1-1 if they spot anyone in distress so that they can get immediate help and be directed to a warming shelter.

Q: Is there anything the public can do to help?

A: Yes, the Tulsa Day Center is currently in need of blanket donations. Leaders with the center are asking for the community’s support in providing blankets to help those staying in the shelters.