St. Marks United Methodist Church will serve as a temporary shelter for homeless residents this weekend.
The church, located on the corner of Washington and Dickinson streets in downtown Charleston, will be open from 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday morning.
Monty Brown, senior pastor, said the church was moved to shelter the homeless by the dismantling of "Tent City," a homeless encampment along the Elk River by the Spring Street Bridge, on Tuesday.
While city officials and social services workers said Tuesday that the Tent City residents would be transported to local shelters, it's unclear how many accepted the offer.
Mayor Danny Jones has said only one person accepted transportation to a shelter, while workers at local homeless shelters have said some people did come to the shelters later.
Some people who have been living unsheltered have difficulty adjusting to sheltered life and the rules that come with it. Some suffer from addiction or mental illness.
"We don't try to figure them out," Brown said. "We don't judge. We're just trying to provide a port in the storm."
Glasgow United Methodist Church obtained 20 cots for the effort, 10 of which the church already had, according to Brown.
Members of St. Marks have been volunteering to take shifts working at the church over the weekend, and its board of trustees unanimously agreed to offer up the building's gym to those in need of shelter.
"We're putting it together as we go along but the will and the compassion is there," Brown said.
Brown said the church is anticipating 15 people.
Donations of towels, washcloths, pillows, pillow cases, snacks, bottled water, toilet paper and toothbrushes will be accepted at the church office at 900 Washington St.