Malden Warming Center Guest Experience

Hospitality

MWC is operated totally by volunteers who work together to practice hospitality dedicated to creating a warm welcoming place for individuals experiencing homelessness during the harsh New England winters.

Meals & Snacks

MWC provides a full dinner, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and breakfast to our adult individual guests every day. Snacks & drinks are available throughout the night.

Safe Place

MWC strives to provide a warm safe place during the harshest winter months. We are dedicated to doing all we can to ensure a place that is secure, positive, & welcoming.

Clothing & Toiletries

Thanks to generous donations from our communities, MWC has winterwear, warm clothing, and personal care items available nightly for our adult individual guests.

schedule

Guest Daily Schedule

Activity	Description	Start Time	End Time
Welcome	Obtain a number ticket from MWC security officer. One number per adult. Maximum 40 tickets. All guests with no ticket will be ask to leave.	4:30pm	5:30pm
Lottery Drawing for Entry	Security announces the randomized numbers. Guest must confirm immediately if they plan to stay. Drawing continues until 25 guests are confirmed.	5:30pm	6:00pm
Prepare for Check-In	Separate items to access for your stay, no larger than grocery bag size, for screening. All other personal items will be put in a unscreened zip-tie large bag.	6:00pm	6:30pm
Check-In	Guests are called in the order of the randomized drawing. New guest must sign an agreement. State your name, put accessible items in bin for screening.	6:30pm	7:00pm
Dinner	Receive a full dinner and additional drinks and snacks by request.	7:30pm	8:30pm
Quiet Time	Be quiet and limit volume to be respectful for other guests.	11:00pm	6:00am
Breakfast	Wake up and eat or take a breakfast bag and receive coffee / tea.	6:30am	7:00am
Check-Out	Receive stored items, unbag personal belongings and ready to leave the center by 7:30am.	7:00am	7:30am
Shuttle	Onboard a free shuttle by Old Town Trolley to MBTA Malden Center.	7:15am	7:30am

Address: 529 Eastern Ave, Malden, MA 02148

Open Only between December 1 - March 31

Seven nights a week; 6:30pm - 7:30am

resourcelist

Download Resource List

Download MWC Agreement

faqs

Guest Daily Schedule

Welcome

4:30pm - 5:30pm

Obtain a number ticket from MWC security officer. One number per adult. Maximum 40 tickets. All guests with no ticket will be ask to leave.

Lottery Drawing for Entry

5:30pm - 6:00pm

Security announces the randomized numbers. Guest must confirm immediately if they plan to stay. Drawing continues until 25 guests are confirmed.

Prepare for Check-In

6:00pm - 6:30pm

Separate items to access for your stay, no larger than grocery bag size, for screening. All other personal items will be put in a unscreened zip-tie large bag.

Check-In

6:30pm - 7:00pm

Guests are called in the order of the randomized drawing. New guest must sign an agreement. State your name, put accessible items in bin for screening.

Dinner

7:30pm - 8:30pm

Receive a full dinner and additional drinks and snacks by request.

Quiet Time

11:00pm - 6:00am

Be quiet and limit volume to be respectful for other guests.

Breakfast

6:30am - 7:00am

Wake up and eat or take a breakfast bag and receive coffee / tea.

Check-Out

7:00am - 7:30am

Receive stored items, unbag personal belongings and ready to leave the center by 7:30am.

Shuttle

7:15am - 7:30am

Onboard a free shuttle by Old Town Trolley to MBTA Malden Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does Malden Warming Center serve?
- We allow only adult (18 yrs. or older) individuals who are experiencing homelessness to stay overnight. We unfortunately do not allow children (0-17 yrs. old) or those accompanying persons under 18 yrs. old to stay at our center. If you need family emergency shelter, please contact Housing Families, Inc.
What is your capacity?
- We only allow 25 adults to stay each night at Malden Warming Center between 6:30pm to 7:30am and all guests must leave by 7:30am.
What does Malden Warming Center provide between 6:30pm to 7:30am?
- Check out our guest experience and daily schedule by scrolling up on this page or click on this guest experience link or schedule link
What can I expect if it is my first time as a guest at the Malden Warming Center?
- Please review the full daily schedule above for complete information. In general at check-in, a room monitor volunteer captures your photo, name, gender, and Latin/ethnicity into the tablet which are required / no entry allowed if not provided. You will be asked to sign our guest agreement after reading it. If you do not sign the agreement, you cannot stay.
  
  All your medications, lighters, vapes, scissors, and pocket knives must be provided to our director on call for storage in our safe or by the volunteer desk area. For outside food or beverage, please consider consuming, throwing out or storing them in your zip-tied large bag since you cannot consume it during your stay.
  
  You will place items you plan to access during your stay in a clear plastic bin. These items will be searched in the bin. All other items placed in the zip-tie large bag will not subjected to searched. Lastly, your body and clothes are wanded for safety reasons. With your bin and zip tied bag(s) in hand, you can choose a cubicle space for your nightly stay.
How soon can I come?
- If you arrive anytime before 4:30pm, MWC Security will ask you to leave the property. All guests are welcome that arrive at 4:30pm and stay in parking lot shelter area until 5:30pm when the lottery is drawn. If you leave the parking lot at any time between 4:30 - 5:30pm, MWC Security will ask for your ticket back and no guarantee to receive a ticket when you return.
Can I call ahead and reserve a spot?
- No, MWC does not maintain a waitlist. After when we open at 6:30pm, we recommend you call to check if we have any vacancy for that evening.
What if I have alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs and medication?
- Please either leave it in your unscreened zip-tied large bag or store it in our safe at check-in.
Can I bring outside food?
- All outside food items cannot be consumed in Malden Warming Center. The guest must put the food in zip-tied large bags or throw it out; refrigeration is not provided.
What if I need an item in the zip-tied large bag later that night?
- Contact one of our room monitors who will remove the zip-tie, allow you to access the item (excluding outside food, medication, alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs), and re-zip tied the large bag. If you access/use any of the excluded items, this will result in a warning or 2-day ban.
What if I arrive and the center is at capacity (max 25 guests)?
- You will not be allowed to stay but MWC can provide a hot dinner and drink, provide clothing or other supplies per request, and use the restroom when asked.
What services do you offer during my stay?
- Charging phone, provide your own personal space with blankets and chairs, food (dinner, breakfast, coffee, snacks), and offer clothing and toiletries.

I am looking for help outside MWC Season (Dec 1 - Mar 31), where can I go?
- Please review our Resource List to find shelter and other services you may need.

Malden Warming Center Guest Experience

Hospitality

Meals & Snacks

Safe Place

Clothing & Toiletries

Guest Daily Schedule

Guest Daily Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does Malden Warming Center serve?

What is your capacity?

We only allow 25 adults to stay each night at Malden Warming Center between 6:30pm to 7:30am and all guests must leave by 7:30am. ​

What does Malden Warming Center provide between 6:30pm to 7:30am?

Check out our guest experience and daily schedule by scrolling up on this page or click on this guest experience link or schedule link ​

What can I expect if it is my first time as a guest at the Malden Warming Center?

How soon can I come?​

Can I call ahead and reserve a spot?

No, MWC does not maintain a waitlist. After when we open at 6:30pm, we recommend you call to check if we have any vacancy for that evening.

What if I have alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs and medication?

Please either leave it in your unscreened zip-tied large bag or store it in our safe at check-in.

Can I bring outside food?

All outside food items cannot be consumed in Malden Warming Center. The guest must put the food in zip-tied large bags or throw it out; refrigeration is not provided.

What if I need an item in the zip-tied large bag later that night?

Contact one of our room monitors who will remove the zip-tie, allow you to access the item (excluding outside food, medication, alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs), and re-zip tied the large bag. If you access/use any of the excluded items, this will result in a warning or 2-day ban. ​

What if I arrive and the center is at capacity (max 25 guests)?

You will not be allowed to stay but MWC can provide a hot dinner and drink, provide clothing or other supplies per request, and use the restroom when asked.

What services do you offer during my stay?

Charging phone, provide your own personal space with blankets and chairs, food (dinner, breakfast, coffee, snacks), and offer clothing and toiletries. ​

I am looking for help outside MWC Season (Dec 1 - Mar 31), where can I go?

Please review our Resource List to find shelter and other services you may need.

We only allow 25 adults to stay each night at Malden Warming Center between 6:30pm to 7:30am and all guests must leave by 7:30am.

Check out our guest experience and daily schedule by scrolling up on this page or click on this guest experience link or schedule link

How soon can I come?

Contact one of our room monitors who will remove the zip-tie, allow you to access the item (excluding outside food, medication, alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs), and re-zip tied the large bag. If you access/use any of the excluded items, this will result in a warning or 2-day ban.

Charging phone, provide your own personal space with blankets and chairs, food (dinner, breakfast, coffee, snacks), and offer clothing and toiletries.