A Warming Center will be located at the Daniel Pitino Shelter for White Flag nights from November 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023.
The Daviess County Emergency Management Agency will continue to send notifications and post to social media platforms when White Flag criteria is expected to be met.
Residents may call 270-688-9000 any time after 12:00 P.M. to learn if the Warming Shelter will be open that evening, or look for postings on the Daviess County Emergency Management Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DCEMA1.
Additionally, the Homeless Council of Ohio Valley approved the following White Flag policy:
HOMELESS COUNCIL OF OHIO VALLEY
WARMING CENTER/WHITE FLAG POLICY
A White Flag event is intended to serve as a guide to prevent homeless individuals from serious harm or death during the winter season. For purposes of this policy, the winter season shall be defined as November 1 through March 31 each year. During a White Flag Event, participating homeless shelters are requested to place a white flag on their facility’s exterior door, which shall publicly convey that extra bed space may be available.
A White Flag event, as defined/declared by the Homeless Council of Ohio Valley, shall remain in effect during the winter season when one or more of the following conditions exist:
- The forecasted temperature or wind chill is 15 degrees or below anytime during the overnight period (4:00 PM – 6:00 AM).
The Daniel Pitino Shelter will serve as the designated White Flag shelter, and liaison between shelters and any other participating agency, November 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023. In the event that participating shelters are unable to house a homeless individual during a White Flag Event, the Daniel Pitino Shelter will make available necessary resources and accommodations to house those individuals at the Daniel Pitino Shelter, located at 501 Walnut St, Owensboro, KY. Additionally, Daniel Pitino Shelter shall offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals to White Flag participants.
The City of Owensboro shall provide free bus transportation Monday thru Friday to White Flag participants via the Owensboro Transit System (OTS) to and from the Daniel Pitino Shelter during White Flag events. Saturday and Sunday White Flag transportation shall be coordinated between Daniel Pitino Shelter and Daviess County Emergency Management.
If the participating shelters and Daniel Pitino Shelter are unable to accommodate homeless individuals during a White Flag event, the Homeless Council of Ohio Valley will seek assistance from Daviess County Emergency Management to secure an alternate shelter option.
For consistency, the National Weather Service – Paducah, Kentucky (www.crh.noaa.gov/pah/) shall be used to determine all local weather forecasts for the Daviess County White Flag policy.
