The La Crosse Warming Center’s mission is to work with the greater La Crosse community to better serve those experiencing homelessness with dignity and respect by providing a safe and warm place for homeless adults 18 years and older to get in out of the cold during the winter months from November 1 until April 30. The Warming Center is located downtown at 413 South Third Street in La Crosse. Guests are able to take a shower and wash their clothes. Hours for the center are from 7:00 pm until 8:00 am, Monday through Sunday, including holidays. The center offers open intake from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm each night. After 9:00 pm the police, hospitals or Salvation Army can refer guests. The center does allow those individuals who are currently suffering from mental health and/or addictions to enter the facility as long as they are acting in a calm and respectful manner. To keep the doors open, hundreds of volunteers from area churches and the community are needed to staff the center.
Summer Services
Shower and laundry services are available 3 days a week starting June 8, 2026 through August. There will also be additional dates available in September, but those dates and times are yet to be determined. Each client who is unsheltered can do 1 load of laundry and/or take a shower in the 2 hour allotted time frame.
- Mondays 6-8 am (no laundry started later than 7 am and no shower started later than 7:30 am)
- Tuesdays 2:30-4:30 pm (no laundry started later than 3:30 pm and no showers started later than 4 pm)
- Thursdays 2:30-4:30 pm (no laundry started later than 3:30 pm and no showers started later than 4 pm)
- Fridays 6-8 am (no laundry started later than 7 am and no shower started later than 7:30 am)
All guests utilizing these services must fill out an intake packet if you are new to Catholic Charities services. This usually takes no more than 5-10 minutes. All guests are welcome to have 1 load of laundry done for them upon entrance to the Warming Center, as long as you arrive within the first hour of services. A maximum of 6 people are able to do laundry per date. All guests are welcome to take a shower upon entrance to the Warming Center, as long as you arrive within the first 90 minutes of services. A maximum of 10 people are able to take a shower per date. No sign up is necessary. However, guests are NOT allowed to be at the Warming Center prior to the exact opening times for services.
Any questions or concerns, please contact Karla Hein, Warming Center Coordinator at 608-668-9005.
In-Kind Donations
ALL In-Kind donations are being accepted at the Catholic Charities Office Building (508 South 5th Avenue - downtown La Crosse) on Mondays - Thursdays from 9 am to 4 pm. Staff and volunteers will be available to assist you. If these times are not convenient for you, please contact Karla at 608-519-8060 or Shannon at 608-519-8011 to set up a more convenient drop off time. Items donated at 508 South 5th Ave. will be transferred to the Warming Center as needed.
Warming Center and Guest Needs
*We appreciate your support given to the Warming Center and our guests! Below is our list of needs, however, please remember monetary donations are vital to keep our Warming Center open. Make a monetary donation today!
- Sugar
- Cereal
- Ramen To Go Cups
- CHEWY Granola Bars
- Breakfast Items To Go
- Juice or Juice Mix
- Laundry Soap
- Dish Soap
- Shower Towels (Gently Used or New)
- Any Cleaning Products
- Paper Towels
- Hand Warmers
- Chapstick/Lip Balm
- Disposable Razors
- Deodorant
- Shampoo 20 oz or Larger
- Conditioner 20 oz or Larger
- Body Wash Shampoo 20 oz or Larger
- Winterized Gloves
- New Underwear M/F
- Long Johns (Adult Size)
- Duffle Bags and Book Bags
- Men's Clothing Size 2X or Larger
- Men's Work Boots Size 10 and Up
Extreme Weather Procedure
Throughout the winter months, many of our service areas where we provide outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness will be under extreme cold weather conditions. As we anticipate extreme cold temperatures, we will implement our Extreme Weather Procedures at all Catholic Charities Community Homeless Facilities.
When temperatures between 7 pm and 8 am are anticipated to drop at or below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, Catholic Charities Community Homeless Facilities will open their doors to an overflow capacity. These facilities will also lift temporary bans allowing community members to get out of the freezing temperatures.
During this time, we want to continue offering a safe, warm place for men and women to get out of the elements. Please pray for those we serve and our staff during this extreme weather!