Second Light will open an emergency winter shelter for men and women at 1025 N. Main St. in Wichita on Sunday, Nov. 1.

The shelter is part of the Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County's 2026-2027 winter plan, announced by United Way of the Plains. Three local nonprofits will coordinate to provide shelter, meals and services for people experiencing homelessness during dangerous cold.

The Second Light shelter will operate from Nov. 1 through March 31, 2027, in addition to the organization's year-round Shelter + Services program. The schedule shifts with the season:

  • In November, December and March, the shelter follows a weather-based model. Guests are welcome nightly. Daytime hours open when air or windchill temperatures hit 32 degrees or below, or when rain, sleet, snow or hail falls at 50 degrees or lower.
  • The shelter will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, based on expected weather conditions

Second Light will post activation updates through Shelter Connect, the Coalition's web-based portal used by service providers and first responders.

Union Rescue Mission, at 2800 N. Hillside, provides year-round emergency overnight shelter for men. The mission will expand its hours and capacity during extreme or life-threatening weather. Daily check-in runs from 3 to 6 p.m. Operational updates go to the Wichita Police Department and through Shelter Connect.

The Lord's Diner will provide on-site meals at Second Light for all emergency winter shelter guests.

Laura Ritterbush, board chair of the Coalition to End Homelessness, said the plan represents a community-wide commitment. "These winter plans represent a community-wide commitment to ensuring that people have a safe place to go when the weather becomes dangerous while also connecting them to the services and resources they need to move into stable housing," Ritterbush said in the announcement.

The Coalition is the community-designated Continuum of Care for Sedgwick County, led by United Way of the Plains. It coordinates services with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Anyone experiencing homelessness or at risk can dial 2-1-1 to connect with resource navigators.