ShelterFest Returns to Support Out of the Cold’s Mission

This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.

STATE COLLEGE — It doesn’t always take a major crisis to leave someone without a place to call home.

Sometimes it’s a lost job. A medical injury. An unexpected car repair. A family conflict. For many people living paycheck to paycheck, it can happen faster than most realize.

That’s why Out of the Cold is inviting the community to come together for ShelterFest 2026, a four-day celebration of live music, local food and community support that helps ensure some of Centre County’s most vulnerable residents have a safe place to sleep.

The annual fundraiser will take place Aug. 6-9 at four venues across the county, featuring 15 musicians and bands donating their time to the cause, along with food trucks and opportunities to learn more about the nonprofit’s mission.

“The money raised through ShelterFest will help us sustain our current operations and also expand our operations,” said Kendra Gettig, board chair for Out of the Cold.

Gettig said Out of the Cold is Centre County’s only low-barrier shelter, providing emergency housing to anyone in need regardless of circumstances. The organization also operates the county’s only Code Blue shelter during dangerously cold weather and recently introduced a Code Red shelter during extreme heat advisories to protect unsheltered individuals from dangerous temperatures.

The need continues to grow.

According to Gettig, Out of the Cold has maintained a waiting list for shelter for six consecutive years. The list currently includes about 20 people waiting for a bed, while demand during the coldest months can climb as high as 50 or 60 people.

One of the organization’s goals is to expand its shelter from 19 beds to as many as 30, helping reduce that waiting list while serving more people in need.

“Our community just does not have the shelter space that is required to house all of the people who need it,” Gettig said.

She also believes one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding homelessness is that everyone experiencing it arrived there because of poor decisions.

While that can happen, she said many people simply encounter circumstances beyond their control.

“We have helped people at the shelter that have hurt themselves and then they weren’t able to work for a month,” Gettig said. “They were already living paycheck to paycheck, so just that month of not getting paid really set them back.”

She noted that roughly 80% of people staying at the shelter have some form of income through employment or disability benefits but rising housing costs continue to outpace what many workers can afford.

While ShelterFest is designed as a fundraiser, Gettig hopes visitors also leave with a greater understanding of the challenges facing their neighbors.

Admission is free, with donations accepted throughout the weekend. Guests can enjoy live entertainment, food trucks and community fellowship, and are encouraged to bring lawn chairs as seating may be limited.

For those unable to attend, Out of the Cold accepts year-round financial donations, maintains an online wish list of needed supplies and welcomes volunteers to help provide meals for shelter guests every day of the year.

Ultimately, Gettig said ShelterFest is about something much larger than music.

“I think that as a community, Centre County does a really good job of caring for people in our own community,” she said. “We’re helping neighbors. We’re helping people that were born and raised in Centre County. These folks are some of our community’s most vulnerable people. They really need help. It’s an opportunity to help our neighbors.”

ShelterFest begins Thursday, Aug. 6, at 814 Cider Works from 5 to 8 p.m., continues Friday at University Wine Company from 6 to 8 p.m., moves to Boal City Brewing on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and concludes Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Axemann Brewery.

Additional information, performer schedules and donation opportunities are available through Out of the Cold: Centre County’s website and ShelterFest Facebook event page.