By EMILY HALL
ehall@soundpublishing.com

As temperatures get colder and nights grow longer, Kitsap residents are not only looking forward to holiday festivities, but also ensuring they’ve got each others’ backs.

There are many in our community who could use a warm coat, a hot meal, a roof over their heads, or even just somebody to talk to as the weather turns gloomy.

Here’s how people are helping.

SEVERE WEATHER SHELTERS
The Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management operates two Severe Weather Shelters for residents needing a place to stay on nights when the temperature has been below 32 degrees for four hours or more.

The shelters also provide individuals who are homeless a refuge from snow and rain. Shelters are located at the Kingston Community Center on Highway 104 and the Salvation Army in Bremerton. Local businesses and media pass the word when these shelters are open, and Kitsap Transit provides free rides to the shelters for those who need one.

Because of the efforts of volunteers, these places are safe for an overnight stay when the weather has made it too dangerous to go home, or if someone is in need of a home.

COMMUNITY DINNERS
Around Kitsap, community service groups come together to ensure people who need a meal, or just the company of others, can get it — 100 percent complimentary, no strings attached.

The First Lutheran Church of Poulsbo hosts a community dinner every Thursday from 5-6 p.m.

On Thanksgiving Day at 2 p.m., the church will provide a turkey dinner, complete with salads and hams. All are welcome, and it’s an ideal alternative to spending the holiday alone.

In addition, the church has teamed up with North Kitsap Fishline and is accepting food donations and toys for the upcoming holiday season, and is also collecting warm coats and winter wear in honor of a recently passed church member.

“I’m so proud of our community and Kitsap [County] as a whole,” said Beth Samuels, an administrator and volunteer coordinator with First Lutheran Church.

(See the list of other community dinners below.)

FOOD BANKS
At Fishline’s Food Bank (Viking Avenue and Liberty Road in Poulsbo), clients receive “Fish Bucks” which they use to shop for food for during the holidays and the rest of the year.

Fishline assists 400-500 families during the holidays.

Another Fishline program offers residents the opportunity to sponsor a child or a family during Christmas. In the “Christmas Child Program,” children from low-income families can list their holiday gift wishes on a tag that is placed on Christmas trees all over Poulsbo and North Kitsap. Sponsors choose a card and shop for whatever is on the list.

Debbie’s family faced a crisis toward the end of 2014. Her husband, Mark, suffered a cardiac arrest, resulting in three open-heart surgeries in a single month. Consequently, she had to look after him as well as their three children. Neither Debbie nor Mark were able to work, making it that much harder to pay their bills and living expenses.

For Debbie’s family, things took a turn for the worse. After Thanksgiving, the family car was burglarized and Debbie had to tap into her savings to cover the repair costs.

Debbie reached out to Fishline, where she explained her situation. Fishline helped Debbie acquire gifts for her family as well as a holiday food basket.

“We can totally help you,” she was told, as Fishline gave Debbie’s family the hand up they needed.

Others followed. Debbie’s coworkers whipped up a delicious Thanksgiving turkey dinner for her family, and Mark’s colleagues initiated a drive at Coast Do It Best Hardware to help the family get back on their feet.

Gravitec stepped in and took help to the next level. After hearing about Debbie’s family’s situation, the company took Debbie shopping, where she was able to buy shoes and clothes for her kids and glasses for her husband. The company even wrapped all of the presents.

“We’re here to help,” Randall ‘Randy Claus’ Wingfield said to Debbie’s family.

“I’m so thankful, I can’t even put it into words,” said Debbie, with tears welling up in her eyes. “Never in my life have I experienced [such] compassion. Both Fishline and Gravitec saved our lives.”

Now, Mark is recovering and celebrating a year of good health, and Debbie has been helping at Fishline. Her family was able to pull out of their hardship and become, once again, successful.

“You just have to pay it forward,” she said.

Food banks in Kitsap:

— St. Vincent de Paul, 1137 Callow Ave., Bremerton. 360-479-7017. Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

— Bremerton Foodline, 1600 12th St. 360-479-6188. Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

— South Kitsap Helpline House, 1012 Mitchell Ave., Port Orchard. 360-876-4089. Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

— Central Kitsap Food Bank, 3537 NW Anderson Hill Road. 360-692-9818. Hours: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

— Bainbridge Island Helpline House, 282  Knechtel Way NE. 206-842-7621. Hours: 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

— North Kitsap Fishline, 787 NW Liberty Road (at Viking Avenue), Poulsbo. 360-779-5190. Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday.

— ShareNet, 26061 United Road NE, Kingston. 360-297-2266. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

— Kingston Food Bank, Illinois Avenue and Highway 104. 360-297-4861. Hours: Noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday.

LIST OF COMMUNITY MEALS

NORTH KITSAP
Mondays
— St. Olaf’s Church, 18493 Caldart Ave. Poulsbo. Time: 5 p.m. (third Monday of the month)

— Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1700 NE Lincoln Ave., Poulsbo. Time: 5-7 p.m. (last Monday of the month)

Wednesday
— Suquamish Community Kitchen, 18732 Division Ave. NE, Suquamish. Time: 5-6:30 p.m.

Thursday
— First Lutheran Church of Poulsbo, 18920 4th Ave. NE, Poulsbo, 5-6 p.m.

Friday
— Coffee Oasis, 780 NE Iverson St., Poulsbo. Time: 6-9 p.m. (ages 16-25 only)

— Gateway Fellowship, 18901 8th Ave., Poulsbo. Time: 6 p.m. (first Friday of the month)

— Kingston Bayside Church, 25992 Barber Cut-Off Road NW, Kingston. Time: 5-6:30 p.m. (last Friday of the month)

— Kingston VFW, 26096 W. First St., Kingston. Time: 5-6:30 p.m.

Saturday
— Gateway Fellowship, 18901 8th Ave., Poulsbo. Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

CENTRAL KITSAP
Monday
— Family of God Lutheran Church, 7625 Central Valley Road, Silverdale. Time: Noon to 2 p.m.

— Salvation Army, 832 6th St., Bremerton. Times: 8-8:45 a.m.. noon to 12:45 p.m.

— Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 500 Veneta St., Bremerton. Time: 5-7 p.m.

— Crossroad Church, 1216 Ivy Road, Bremerton. Time: 6:30 p.m.

— Coffee Oasis, 822 Burwell St., Bremerton. Time: 6-9 p.m. (ages 16-25 only)

Tuesday
— Sylvan Way Baptist Church, 900 Sylvan Way, Bremerton. Time: 6 p.m.

— Bremerton Foodline, 1600 12th St., Bremerton. Time: Noon.

— Salvation Army, 832 6th St., Bremerton. Times: 8-8:45 a.m., noon to 12:45 p.m.

— Silverdale United Methodist Church, corner of Silverdale Way and Ridgetop Boulevard. Time: 4-5:30 p.m.

Wednesday
— Silverdale Lutheran Church, 11701 Ridgetop Drive, Silverdale. Time: Noon to 1 p.m.

— Shepherd’s Table Nazarene Church, 924 Sheridan Road, Bremerton. Time: 6 p.m.

— Salvation Army, 832 6th St., Bremerton. Time: 8-8:45 a.m., noon to 12:45 p.m.

— Kitsap Rescue Mission, 1003 5th St., Bremerton. Time: 6 p.m.

— Coram Deo Church. 5951 Highway 303, Bremerton. Time: 6 p.m.

Thursday
— Salvation Army, 832 6th St., Bremerton. Times: 8-8:45 a.m., noon to 12:45 p.m.

— Bremerton Foodline, 1600 12th St., Bremerton. Time: Noon.

— New Day Ministries, 410 6th St., Bremerton. Time: 5-7:15 p.m.

— Kitsap Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4418 Perry Ave., Bremerton. Time: Noon to 1 p.m.

Friday
— Salvation Army, 832 6th St., Bremerton. Time: 8-8:45 a.m., noon to 12:45 p.m.

— Kitsap Rescue Mission, 1003 5th St., Bremerton. Time: 6 p.m.

— Coffee Oasis, 822 Burwell St., Bremerton. Time: 6-9 p.m. (ages 16-25 only)

— Evergreen Lutheran Church, corner of NW Holly Road and Seabeck Holly Road, Seabeck. Time: 6 p.m. (last Friday of the month)

— Hillcrest Assembly Hub, 6750 Highway 303, Bremerton. Time: 6 p.m.

— Family Church of God Pentecostal, 1003 5th St., Bremerton. Time: 5-5:45 p.m.

Saturday
— The Lord’s Neighorhood Diner, 700 Callahan Road,  Bremerton. Time: 2:30-4:30 p.m.

— Family Church of God Pentecostal, 1003 5th St., Bremerton. Time: 3-4:30 p.m.

— Friendship at Salvation Army, 832 6th St., Bremerton. Time: Noon to 1 p.m. (fourth Saturday of the month)

Sunday
— Kitsap Rescue Mission, 1216 Ivy Road, Bremerton. Time: 3 p.m.

— Joy of Freedom/Westgate Fire Hall, 1550 Rocky Point Blvd., Bremerton. Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.

— Apostolic Life Tabernacle, 1248 9th St., Bremerton. Time: 2-4 p.m. (fourth Sunday of the month)

— One Life Church, 4205 Wheaton Way, Bremerton. Time: 1:30 p.m.

SOUTH KITSAP
Monday
— Church of Christ, 2588 Carr Lane, Port Orchard. Time: 5-6 p.m. (first and second Monday of the month)

— South Kitsap Family Kitchen, 2482 Mitchell Road, Port Orchard. Time: 5-6:30 p.m. (last two weeks of the month, excluding Wednesday)

Tuesday
— South Kitsap Family Kitchen, 2482 Mitchell Road, Port Orchard. Time: 5-6:30 p.m. (last two weeks of the month, excluding Wednesday)

Wednesday
— Care Kitchen, 1780 SE Lincoln Ave., Port Orchard. Time: 5-6 p.m.

Thursday
— The Shepherd’s Kitchen, 1213 Bay St., Port Orchard. Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

— South Kitsap Family Kitchen, 2482 Mitchell Road, Port Orchard. Time: 5-6:30 p.m. (last two weeks of the month, excluding Wednesday)

Friday
— Coffee Oasis, 807 Bay St., Port Orchard. Time: 6-9 p.m. (for ages 16-25 only)

— South Kitsap Family Kitchen, 2482 Mitchell Road, Port Orchard. Time: 5-6:30 p.m. (last two weeks of the month, excluding Wednesday)

Saturday
— Kitsap Rescue Mission, 1780 Lincoln Ave., Port  Orchard. Time: 5 p.m.

— Christian Life Center, corner of Mitchell and Lincoln Avenue, Port Orchard. Time: 5 p.m.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND
Monday
— Eagle Harbor Church, 105 Winslow Way W. Time: 5 p.m. (last week of the month)

Tuesday
— Eagle Harbor Church, 105 Winslow Way W. Time: 5 p.m. (last week of the month)

Thursday
— Eagle Harbor Church, 105 Winslow Way W. Time: 5 p.m. (last week of the month)

Friday
— Eagle Harbor Church, 105 Winslow Way W. Time: 5 p.m. (last week of the month)