KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Foundations that give back to Keene are preparing for the cold months ahead. The Keene Community Kitchen and the Hundred Nights Shelter provide resources to those in need all year, but feel extra stress during the winter .

According to Executive Director of the Community Kitchen Barb Weissman, in a given week, around 350 families go to the Community Kitchen, with that number going to 480 families during the Federal Government shutdown. During the week of Thanksgiving, around 600 families went to the food pantry, and Weissman said the number is around the same during the week of Christmas.

Financial contributions are the most helpful for the Community Kitchen, and shelf-stable food donations are “always appreciated,” according to Weissman. Taking about 120 volunteers a month to run the foundation, Weissman said without the volunteers, the Community Kitchen would be lost.

“So if time is the gift that people have to give we accept it with open arms and gratitude,” Weissman said.

Southwestern Community Services, a partner of the Monadnock United Way, assists elderly, handicapped and low-income residents with fuel assistance and electricity. According to Terra Rogers, the head of the energy services at SCS, in a normal year, they may get around 5,000 applications for fuel and electricity assistance, but that with the rising price of fuel and electricity, and the general rise in the cost of living, that number increased in 2025.

What has also increased for SCS energy assistance is the income threshold, which is much higher than in years past.

Hundred Nights Shelter, who’s mission statement is to provide shelter for those at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness is also gearing up for what has already been a cold start to the year.

Hundred Nights is currently working in conjunction with the City of Keene and the UCC Church in Keene on opening an overnight warming center. Executive Director Becky Beaton said “…we’re hopeful to be able to have [the overnight warming center] before the end of the month for anybody who is not able to fit into the capacity that the shelters have right now.” Beaton also said they are currently looking for staff for the warming centers.

A full list of the shelter’s wish list and needs can be found on their website. This list includes every day items, needs for the shelter, food and cutlery supplies, as well as clothing. The donation room at the shelter is open on Mondays and Saturdays, 11-1, and from 10-2:30 on Tuesdays and Fridays.

“We have plenty of opportunities … where [people] can donate,” Beaton said. “If they don’t know what they want to donate, we always accept money because we have plenty of expenses.”

One of the largest differences in support that Hundred Nights Shelter needs to offer in the winter is transportation. “[There] are some subtle things … a lot of our community relies on bicycle transportation in the summer time,” J Rollins, the Operation Manager at Hundred Nights said, “so they’re a little bit more reliant on either public transportation or foot transportation, or they just make choices not to go.”

“While the winter is definitely what I think most people think of, homelessness is a year-round problem,” Beaton said. “Coming up with solutions … that work for everybody is really the priority in our community.”