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 Tuesday, Oct. 12 2021. (Dan Sokil/MediaNews Group)
Starting in December 2024, local volunteers have used a Lansdale parks and recreation building at Main Street and Lakeview Drive as an overnight shelter for women
With sub-freezing temperatures forecast into the weekend, Lansdale’s Code Blue shelter organizers are planning to be busy and have clear needs.
“The number one thing we need are volunteers,” said organizer Mark Lanan. “I spend a majority of my time every day trying to fill both shelters – 18 volunteers per evening.”
Starting in December 2024, local volunteers have used a Lansdale parks and recreation building at Main Street and Lakeview Drive as an overnight shelter for women, organized by the same volunteers associated with Trinity Lutheran Church who have operated a men’s shelter at Trinity since 2009.
In May, organizers of the two Code Blue shelters said 2024-25 set records by sheltering an average of 25 guests per night, opening 54 nights in a row, and over 100 nights total, and sheltering over 150 unique persons for over 2,400 total bed-nights.
Training for the 2025-26 code blue season started in late October, and volunteers have staffed the shelters since Nov. 12; Lansdale council members called on the public to volunteer at the shelter whenever they can.
Since this winter’s Code Blue season started, Lanan said Wednesday, organizers have been able to staff both shelters on every night declared a Code Blue by Montgomery County, “though some nights we have been scrambling to fill all shifts.”
So far, both shelters have been open for 64 nights — compared to 103 for the entire winter of 2024-25 — with a total of 604 volunteer shifts and 1,820 filled so far at the men’s shelter and 590 shifts and 1,771.5 hours at the women’s shelter, according to Lanan. At the men’s shelter, 139 meals have been provided by volunteers and 62 breakfasts provided by Chef Chipper and AAA Catering, and at the women’s shelter those numbers are 136 meals and 62 breakfasts respectively.
“I am so proud of our volunteers. On snowy nights, out of town volunteers have slept over at relative’s houses to make sure they get to their shift on time,” Lanan said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the men’s shelter had also hosted a total of 1,443 cots slept in or guest overnights, sheltering a total of 67 unduplicated guests, and the women’s shelter had hosted a total of 818 cots slept in or overnights and a total of 33 unduplicated guests, according to Lanan.
“We have volunteers that sit an overnight or breakfast shift, then go to work all day after their shift. We have volunteers that sit and listen to guests talk about their lives, and do not judge,” he said.
In addition to volunteers, the shelters are also in need of cases of bottled water, ramen noodles, bottles of ginger ale, Pop Tarts, individual servings of breakfast cereals, oatmeal and grits packets, hand warmers, shelf safe milk and chocolate milk, paper towels, toilet paper and feminine products. Anyone interested in donating can also use the shelter’s online Amazon wish list or contact [email protected] to arrange any larger donation.
Shelter organizers have also recently implemented an incentive program for those who can volunteer to staff overnight shifts, and Lanan said he has been impressed with the dedication of those who have helped so far this season.
“We have volunteers that live as far away as Upper Providence and Audubon that come into Lansdale for their shift. It absolutely amazes me the compassion these folks show,” Lanan said.
For more information or to assist, contact Lanan at (215) 272-4979, email [email protected] or follow “Code Blue Shelter – Lansdale, PA” on Facebook.
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