Seattle funeral home opens to public as cooling center
Jun 28, 2021, 3:37 PM | Updated: 3:37 pm
It may be one of the more unusual places to cool off.
Columbia Funeral Home in South Seattle opened its chapel and visitation room on Monday until 5 p.m. to use as a cooling center.
Seattle, counties open cooling centers, pools to help with record heat
“We’ve got a cool 68 degrees going here and we’ve offered ice and ice water for anybody that needs it,” said Funeral Home Director Melissa Unfred.
The home’s border collie mix, therapy dog “Kermit” is also on hand, and pets are welcome if they’re on leashes or otherwise controlled.
Unfred says the funeral home, at 4567 Rainier Avenue South, has always been involved in the community and when she heard about other cooling centers opening up, “I reached out to management, who thought it was a great idea.”
She doesn’t have a total, but says visitors are dropping by and are enjoying a break from the heat.
“They’re very happy to be here. That’s probably the happiest anybody could be a at funeral home,” she chuckled, putting it into perspective.
On Tuesday, Columbia Funeral Home will be closed to the general public for a previously scheduled memorial service.
