Volunteers Needed as Lansdale Code Blue Shelter Could be Open Sunday Night

Dan Sokil | The Reporter•

Signs indicating cabinets are reserved for Code Blue shelter materials are seen in the Code Blue shelter at Trinity Lutheran Church’s Luther Hall on T

Chilly temperatures this weekend may mean the town’s Code Blue shelter snapping into service.

Shelter organizers put out a call on Thursday for volunteers to be ready this weekend, just in case.

"It looks like we may have a Code Blue declaration Sunday night, November 12th to 13th,” said organizer Mark Lanan.

"If you see the forecasted temperature at 29° or below, be proactive and start filling out the scheduler,” he said.

Located at Trinity Lutheran Church at 1000 W. Main Street in Lansdale, the area’s volunteer Code Blue shelter has operated for over a decade on cold nights, for anyone who needs a place to stay when temperatures drop into the danger zone.

For the 2022-23 winter, after a permanent homeless shelter in Norristown was closed in 2022, the Lansdale Code Blue shelter was open for a total of 48 nights, and welcomed 53 different guests, with an average of 11 guests per evening the shelter was open, the organizers told council this past spring.

Training sessions began in late October for the upcoming Code Blue season. Those interested in helping out must undergo a background check; COVID-19 vaccination shots are encouraged but not required. Volunteers can help with the intake shift from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., a first overnight shift from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., a second overnight shift from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., and/or the breakfast shift from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Those who can’t put in the hours can help via donations: items sought for those in need include wool socks, fleece hats, long johns, gloves, hand warmers, wool blend scarves, coats, ponchos, umbrellas, and prepackaged food such as energy bars, packs of crackers, or juice boxes; a full list of items is available on the shelter’s Facebook page.

Anyone interested in assisting can call Lanan at (215) 272-4979, contact [email protected]or follow "Code Blue Shelter – Lansdale, PA” on Facebook for more information.

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