BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — The only warming shelter in Bartlesville is open and ready to bring people inside.

Kieth and Kristy McPhail are co-founders of B the Light Mission in Bartlesville. This is the fifth year they are opening a warming shelter.

“With the temperatures dropping and the wind-chill’s -10, -20, it’s time to open up,” said Keith.

The first warming shelter of 2025 will be open from Sunday at 3 p.m. to Thursday morning when temperatures start to rise again.

“We are setting up. We have 20 cots out, we have 40 total we can put out,” said Kieth.

It’s open to anyone and everyone, including pets. It’s more than just a bed.

“Breakfast lunch and dinner and we all eat at this big table and it’s like one big happy dinner and it’s always great good and we have movies here. We have a projector that will come down. We can show movies, play cards, do puzzles and we have some projects, some little crafts and have some projects,” said Kristy.

In previous years, the shelter has changed lives.

“A lot of them in years past have come in, in not the best of shape and so we just try to get them comfortable. Get them in, settled down and usually once they get in and we keep that transition for them, then they ended up staying getting some relaxation and lots of and times what our goal is, not treat it but figure out what is going on and some of them being housed by the end of the warming shelter,” said Kristy.

The B the Light Mission also accepts donations of any kind.

Kristy says they’ve had to put in specific donation times because of recent thefts from their donation area. The co-founders ask for donations to be dropped off Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

“It’s discouraging for us because we know it’s a lot for people to go through their things, bring the donation and go up the steps, or if they are buying something new and we appreciate every single thing whether it’s one little thing or a big bag and it’s really frustrating,” said Kristy.

Sunday morning, the donation area was stocked and ready to go. After the shelter closes, they expect a need in items.

“We had 44 last year so we went through a lot of clothes so all of a sudden we needed more sweats,” said Kristy.

B the Light is also looking for volunteers to help with the shelter.

You can learn more about B the Light Mission by clicking here and sign up to volunteer by clicking here.