SLO County city finishes its first permanent warming center. Take a look inside

5Cities Homeless Coalition, a non-profit organization that provides services and housing to unhoused people in San Luis Obispo County, has secured its first permanent warming center on Grand Avenue in Arroyo Grande.

Associate director of the coalition Devon McQuade told The Tribune the location would allow the coalition to more consistently provide people in the community with the relief from the cold and the rain and expand the reach of the organization’s services.

The organization was able to quickly open the center at the tail-end of winter storms this March, but celebrated its official opening at the end of June.

Before moving to the building on Grand Avenue, McQuade said the Homeless Coalition had moved around trying to provide warming centers wherever there was a location available.

Sometimes, she said, this meant setting up shop at a different building each night.

“I’ve been with 5Cities for seven years, and we have never had a permanent location for a warming center,” McQuade said. “We have bounced around to different churches and buildings that were willing to take us for the season, but lots of times we would have to be out during the day so folks could only come in after 5 p.m. and they had to be out by 7 a.m.”

According to McQuade, the new center allows 5Cities to provide a consistent source of warm beds, hot meals and a change of clothes for people in need on cold nights.

Two large rooms filled with cots and a small kitchen allow the center to accommodate up to 30 people, she said.

5Cities warming center features new mural

As part of an effort to spruce up the new location and lighten the atmosphere of the center, McQuade said 5Cities commissioned LA-based tattoo artist Matt Fellows to paint a mural in the main room of the center.

The art work stretches over the entire back wall of the main room, covering approximately 12 by 33 feet.

Fellows told The Tribune this was the largest piece of artwork he had ever done.

After spending the first two decades of his artistic career in fashion design and pivoting to tattoo work during the pandemic, Fellows said he was honored to be able to participate in the development of the center.

He said he wanted to add some joy and light into the main room of the center.

“I wanted to make something that you would want to wake up to everyday,” Fellow said. “But we didn’t want to do something too overt.”

The mural captures a meadow scene with a large sun peaking out from in between two hillsides covered in flowers and trees. Fellows said he wanted to bring some of the beauty of the Central Coast into the building.

He said he was mindful not to pick colors that were too bright since he wanted to be respectful of the serious circumstances that the people coming into the center deal with.

What’s up next for 5Cities Homeless Coalition warming center?

The center is still undergoing some renovations to expand some of its services.

In particular, McQuade said, the center is looking to expand its ability to accommodate dogs. This would make the center one the few establishments that allow people to bring their pets with them.

“Many people need services or want to come in for services,” McQuade said. “But they aren’t going to leave their dogs.”

McQuade said the center was in the process of installing a dog pen behind the main building. She said she hoped this would increase the amount of people that were able to take advantage of the center.

McQuade said while the center is only open during especially cold days, she said 5Cities is hoping to host some summer workshops on transitioning to housing and other topics in the space.

When it’s open, people will be able to access the center by walking or driving, or getting a ride via the the organization’s free transportation service, McQuade said.

McQuade said the best way to find out if the center is open is to call 5Cities at 805-574-1638.

To access year-round care, she suggested people in need of services go to 5Cities Homeless Coalition’s main location at 100 South 4th St. in Grover Beach or visit their website 5chc.org.