Johnson County officials reported on a 2025 pilot providing warming and cooling centers on holiday dates and said they will pursue additional community partner sites and modest funding to expand the effort.

Megan Forman briefed the Board of County Commissioners on the outcomes of the pilot, which used Overland Park Christian Church as the host site, Project 10 20 for transportation and security, and United Community Services (UCS) for volunteer training and operational guidance. The county supported communications, signage, volunteer coordination and incidental supplies.

The pilot operated single‑day events on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Juneteenth, July 4 and Labor Day. Each event served about 12–25 guests and several accompanied animals. Volunteers staffed three shifts of four people; services included seating, snacks, coffee, phone charging and a quiet outdoor area for pets and smokers. Forman said the events were intentionally low‑lift to show feasibility and to build community capacity.

"The purpose truly was to keep it simple and to demonstrate that these events can be held with a small group of volunteers, some space and some donations," Forman said.

County staff said the church offered to host again, and county leaders said the next steps are recruitment of more faith and community sites, funding to underwrite site costs and development of a backup option should host sites be unavailable on a holiday. United Community Services will continue volunteer training and Project 10 20 will support transport where needed. The county said it also plans to consider a paid on‑call human‑services expert who could respond to uncommon issues that arise when other offices are closed on holidays.

Commissioners and public commenters discussed how warming/cooling centers fit into the broader homelessness and housing continuum. Several commissioners emphasized the centers are not a substitute for year‑round shelter capacity but offer life‑saving refuge on holidays and extreme‑weather days when other public buildings are closed. Commissioner Brewer and others urged using the pilot’s operational simplicity to recruit additional faith partners and community organizations.

Why it matters: Holiday warming and cooling centers provide immediate relief during extreme weather and can serve both people experiencing homelessness and households that are vulnerable because of power outages or lack of climate control. County leaders said the pilot demonstrates community partners can host such events with limited expense, and that scattered sites would reduce transportation barriers.

What’s next: Staff will recruit more host sites, continue UCS volunteer training, evaluate a modest funding line for site support and coordinate transport through Project 10 20 and other partners.