CREST HAVEN – When the temperature outside reaches 32 degrees, where do the homeless go to get protection from the elements? That is the question freeholders are working to answer.
At their Oct. 9 meeting, Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton said he had met with Middle Township, Lower Township and Wildwood to address the problem of lack of Code Blue shelters.
A Code Blue alert is declared whenever temperatures drop below the freezing point and weather conditions pose a danger to the homeless population. The Code Blue Alert allows authorities to take homeless people to local shelters or other agencies, known as warming centers.
These shelters make additional beds and space available until conditions improve and the alert is called off. Cape May County issued Code Blue alerts in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The warming centers are staffed by volunteers who are required to have cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification, among other requirements.
“The requirements make it tough to staff the warming centers, so the freeholders are looking at ways to help the local municipalities most likely to be affected during a Code Blue,” explained Diane Weiland, who oversees public information.
During the freeholder meeting, Thornton said he assured the municipalities in the lower end of the county that help with finances incurred because of a Code Blue would be available.
“As long as I am a freeholder, no one in Cape May County will go without food and or a place to get out of the cold,” Thornton said.
Cape Hope, a homeless advocacy organization in the county, has been responsible for obtaining warming centers, finding volunteers to staff them and stocking the centers with supplies.
Martin Pagliughi, coordinator of the Cape May County Office of Emergency Preparedness, provided cots, said Cape Hope Director Denise South.
The organization continues to seek warming centers, South said and has enlisted at least one location, the Family Center at Cape Community Church on Route 9 in Court House.
The center can accept up to 12 people for 14 consecutive days and a male and female volunteer must always be on location.
“We are making efforts to find additional locations for Code Blue. It’s good the municipalities are getting more involved. We are all looking to better assist our neighbors,” said South.
In addition to the work on Code Blue locations, Cape Hope offers all homeless populations assistance through emergency housing grants, Cape Hope family support grants, and Blessing Bags that are delivered to wooded areas where homeless live and other areas where they congregate.
“We also work with other agencies dealing with the same populations to offer assistance,” said South.
To contact Carl Price, email cprice@cmcherald.com.
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