Due to the fact that some individuals struggle to find shelter and provisions for the night, Code Blue shelters in the area aim to give those people supplies like food, shelter and clothes.
According to Lansdale Code Blue coordinator Mark Lanan, Code Blue shelters provide many resources to the guests that they help, for example, food, shelter and a warm meal.
“They get a hot meal, a blanket, a pillow, sheets and they get a warm place to stay,” Lanan said.
Code Blue also has a closet that contains clothes and self-care supplies.
According to volunteer Steve Boell these include soap, shampoo and deodorant.
However, Boell feels the thing they need most is heavy coats.
“I think Code Blue gets a few [heavy coats],” Boell said, “and they go off the shelf right away.”
Since the Code Blue shelter is only open during the night, assistant coordinator Leslie Johnson suggests gift cards.
Gift cards allow guests at Code Blue to have somewhere to go during the day to stay out of the cold.
“From eight in the morning to eight at night, they need to be somewhere safe and warm,” Johnson said.
There are different ways someone can volunteer, and a volunteer does not need to stay an entire shift.
“Our shifts are divided into four; 7-11 p.m. is the intake shift, which is the most active,” Lanan said.
“You get to meet all the people, and you get to know their names. You get to know their family background, and it’s a really good atmosphere.”
Lanan believes that Code Blue does not just help unemployed people.
Some people work minimum wage during the day and need assistance from Code Blue.
Those people are also welcome to stay at the shelter.
“They work at Burger King or Amazon and come here at night,” Lanan said. “I appreciate what they do.”
However, it is not always easy working at Code Blue.
According to Boell, there are times that 911 needs to be called.
“Once last year, we had a gentleman who went in the heart distress,” Boell said. “Ultimately, they got to the hospital when he got some correct treatment, and everything came out okay.”
Even though it can often be stressful to work at Code Blue, for Boell, it is always a rewarding experience.
“I’ve always been drawn to trying to help the homeless,” Boell said. “Every time I go to [Code Blue], it’s a different story.”
According to Johnson, Code Blue has not had any issues with allergies that could not be avoided. However, that does not mean there are things that people cannot eat.
“We have a population of Muslims,” Johnson said, “and they can’t eat pork.”
In such circumstances, Code Blue helps the guests remove any food items that may be an issue.