Despite pandemic impacts, North Charleston warming shelter to restart in new year
VIDEO: Organizers working to open warming shelter By Lillian Donahue | December 20, 2020 at 6:53 PM EST - Updated December 21 at 8:38 AM
NORTH CHARLESTON S.C. (WCSC)- Organizers of the only warming shelter like it in North Charleston say despite the COVID-19 pandemic keeping the doors closed so far this year, they plan to reopen in less than a month to meet the increased need.
Over the past five years, volunteers at the Aldersgate United Methodist Church have led the warming shelter for people on cold winter nights.
“One of the first things that we said as a leadership team is that this is going to impact the way that we do the shelter this year,” Aldersgate UMC pastor Erik Grayson said. “But we were adamant to say that we have to open but we don’t know how.”
Fewer bus riders will have to stand in the dark at unsheltered bus stops now that CARTA is installing solar lighting at 151 locations.
The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority has been working on a multi-year plan to upgrade bus stop amenities, and adding the lights to unsheltered bus stops is the latest effort. CARTA also has been adding more shelters, and since 2019 has added 40 shelters that also have solar-powered lighting.
The bus stops where lights are being added now have no shelters. The lights are meant to help riders, but also to help bus drivers see if there are any riders waiting.