TRUCKEE, Calif. — On July 26, the Nevada County Health and Human Services Agency doled out several Community Partner Awards, including one to Truckee’s Emergency Warming Center.

Here’s what the county had to say about why the center — which opened last winter at Church of the Mountains at 10079 Church St. in downtown Truckee — was deserving of such an honor:

“While the homeless population in Truckee is small, the winter conditions are exceptionally harsh and dangerous. It was not uncommon to find 35-50 people camping outside throughout the winter, with some literally freezing to death each winter.

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“A group of individuals, representing a variety of local churches and nonprofit groups began meeting last summer in pursuit of a weather-triggered emergency facility. The Emergency Warming Center opened its doors for the first time this past winter and is the first homeless shelter in the Tahoe-Truckee area.

Most importantly, there were no reports of death due to exposure this past winter, the primary goal of the project.”

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Email Cathie Foley at comumc@sbcglobal.net if interested in donating goods, money or time to the warming center.