How does a person become unhoused? Every person’s story is unique; however, what all have in common is the need for a safe, warm place to sleep — especially during harsh New England winters.
In January 2025, the Homeless Management Information System identified 2,442 Rhode Islanders as homeless, with hundreds of these individuals living in Providence.
This winter, in order to help those who are experiencing homelessness, warming centers created by Operation NOD (No One Dies) and the RI State Council of churches are providing shelter and safety to those who need it. According to organizers, “in its first 24 days of operation at full capacity, Operation NOD has provided 1,088 bed nights of shelter to individuals in need.”
A few of the people staying in these warming centers shared their story with The Providence Eye:
Alicia: My parents had a huge divorce in 2017, and the home where I lived was gone. Next, my mother died of colon cancer – no one knew till her last day. For two years I lived in an apartment, but then the landlord didn’t want to work with Crossroads [and its housing subsidies] anymore. Then I was in a shelter in Woonsocket for two years, very nice, and they found me a place in Kennedy Manor in Pawtucket, for four and a half years. But there was a shooting there last summer, and I left. I hope I get placed. I pay, I have a clean record, and I’ve worked. I’ve been six months on the streets now.
John: My partner was addicted to crack cocaine. One of us had to leave, and being a gentleman, it was me. I have a place I stay near the Amtrak station. They know about me and leave me alone, as long as I keep the place clean.
Benita: I’m a domestic violence survivor. This program [NOD] helps. Food, bed, showers. I like it here. I’d like to volunteer if there was a chance.
Bob: I’ve been on the streets since July. I was in a relationship with a woman who passed away. The landlady lowered the rent for me for one month, everything was okay, then she said she had to make more money and raised the rent. So here I am.
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On this night, and on others well below freezing, nearly 50 homeless individuals, like those above, have a warm place to stay, with a cot, a clean blanket, clean pillowcase, and a warm meal.
Following the death of 54 homeless people in Rhode Island in 2024, several groups got together to brainstorm, and Operation NOD was created with the goal of preventing deaths as a result of homelessness. The Rhode Island State Council for Churches became the lead sponsor, and invited Harrison Tuttle to be the Coordinator.
Harrison knows first-hand about homelessness. As a child living with his family in Cranston, his parents withheld their rent until their landlord mitigated the lead and mold in their apartment. But instead, the landlord evicted the family. Four years of homelessness followed. Harrison lived in a motel while attending Bishop Hendricken High School.
“It was a tumultuous time,” he said, reflecting on that period of his life.
Harrison, a born activist, earned a degree in Early Childhood Education from the Community College of Rhode Island, from concern that young Black children need to see themselves reflected in their educators. Eventually he became Director of Black Lives Matter RI and connected with the RI Homeless Advocacy project.
How Operation NOD Works
When the nighttime temperature is predicted to be below freezing (“feels like” 22 degrees is the actual criterion), all systems are alerted. A team of volunteer drivers assembles at Mathewson Street Church, known for years as a welcoming place for the homeless. Many are milling around in the community room, where Ruth, a volunteer dispatcher assigns those waiting to cars that take them to one of two warming centers: the Community Church of Providence and The Open Table of Christ. Along with those who can remain at Mathewson overnight, nearly 50 individuals will have a warm, safe place to stay.
At these warming center sites, guests are greeted by professionally-trained staff, then directed to a cot with a clean blanket and pillowcase, and to a warm meal. The Providence Friends Meeting also offers warm showers for guests transported from the nearby Community Church. In the morning, another team of drivers takes folks who stayed at the warming center to wherever they need to go. For many that is Amos House, open all day.
Operation NOD is currently funded by a $200,000 grant given by the state’s Executive Office of Housing, of which $85,000 has already been spent (The original requested funds were closer to $700,000.)
Meanwhile, many have rallied behind the effort. Happy Nest Laundry Service does daily washing, drying and delivery for a discounted rate. Church staff and congregations, of course, are fully committed and many volunteer. Neighbors of the Community Church have contributed significant donations of food, clothing, and time; and the East Side Nursery, housed in the Church, has hosted a food drive.
Harrison is thrilled to see the effort growing. “Many have stepped up to provide what the state does not. NOD has established a standard of care: clean blanket, pillowcase, one warm meal. Some of those making a difference are formerly homeless and incarcerated, and now they have jobs. Collectively, we are showing what it means to participate in a community.”
For those wishing to support Operation NOD, visit their Amazon Wishlist to directly purchase needed items. The shipping address is included at checkout. To make a donation by check, please contact htuttle@councilofchurchesri.
Sarah Gleason has been passionate about historic preservation since moving to Fox Point in 1970. She has experienced the connection between people and places in many settings: as a teacher at the Dorcas Place Parent Literacy Program, as the first Director of ReachOut&Read/RI, and as founder of the BeavertailLighthouse Museum when working for RIDEM. Now, she is happy to be writing about this subject for The Providence Eye.
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