NEW CASTLE (Jan. 3, 2018) – With a blizzard warning for Sussex County beginning tonight into Thursday and a winter storm warning for Kent and New Castle counties, Code Purple is being declared across the state. Additional declarations are expected.

Since most Code Purple sites use volunteers to manage operations, the activation and implementation vary by county and site. To be connected to Code Purple resources, call Delaware 2-1-1 or click the Code Purple button at www.delaware211.org. Or call the Delaware Housing Alliance’s Centralized Intake Line at 302-654-0126, ext. 112. If you see someone outside who appears to be homeless, encourage them to seek emergency shelter or call a non-emergency police number to alert the police to the situation.

Details about the shelters, which are organized and operated by nonprofit organizations or volunteers, include:

SUSSEX COUNTY
Code Purple is declared when temperatures fall below 32 degrees. Sanctuaries through the weekend:
• St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 202 N. North St., Seaford (men only). Check-in at 8:30 p.m.
• Gateway Fellowship, 8011 Cannon Road, Bridgeville (women and children only). Check-in at 8:30 p.m. For both sites, dinner is provided at 7 p.m. at the CROSS building, 703 E. King St., Seaford, with transportation to Gateway Fellowship afterward.
• Avenue United Methodist Church, 20 N. Church St., Milford (men only). Check-in at 7 p.m.; meals provided on-site.
• Laurel Nazarene, 100 Walnut Drive, Laurel (men, with separate space for fathers with children). Check-in at 7 p.m. Dinner provided at the CROSS building, 703 E. King St., Seaford, with transportation to and from the CROSS to be provided.
• Georgetown Presbyterian, 203 N. Bedford St., Georgetown. Call Pastor Mike at 302-344-1912 or leave a message at the church at 302-856-6842. The sanctuary is only open for extreme weather. People must call ahead about availability.
• Immanuel Code Purple Shelter, 37439 Oyster House Road, Rehoboth Beach, open nightly until April 1 regardless of the temperature (serving men and women). 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. daily.

For more information, call the hotline at 302-519-0024 or visit: https://codepurplesussexcounty.com

KENT COUNTY
Code Purple has been declared for tonight and Thursday night. The schedule:

Men
• Centennial United Methodist Church, 44 E. Mount Vernon St., Smyrna (5 p.m.)
• Presbyterian Church, 54 S. State St., Dover (5 p.m.)
• Avenue United Methodist Church, 20 N. Church St., Milford (5 p.m.)
In Dover, all overflow for men will be sent after dinner at Presbyterian to emergency center at Dover Interfaith.

Women
• Wesley United Methodist Church (enter on North Street), 209 S. State St., (5:30 p.m.)
• Milford Community Center, 105 NE Front St. (5 p.m.)

Thursday during the day:
• Hopes & Dreams Peer Resource Center, 621 W. Division St., Dover, will open from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Dover Interfaith Resource Center, 684 Forest St., Dover, will open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

For information about future locations, call the hotline at 1-800-733-6816.

NEW CASTLE COUNTY
Wilmington and Newark: The lead agency for Code Purple in New Castle County is Friendship House, which operates two Code Purple winter sanctuary programs – one in Wilmington and the other in Newark through the Newark Empowerment Center. The Wilmington program is operated in collaboration with the Salvation Army. Beside the Friendship/Salvation Army winter sanctuary program, the Sunday Breakfast Mission and the Rick VanStory Resource Center offer overnight shelter to both men and women.

The Salvation Army has declared Code Purple for tonight, Jan. 3, with additional declarations expected:
• Salvation Army building, 400 N. Orange St. Those who seek overnight housing will receive a hot snack, continental breakfast and a shower.

In Newark, Code Purple has been declared for Thursday, Jan. 4, through Saturday, Jan. 6. The Newark Empowerment Center connects people with overnight stays at a rotating group of churches when Code Purple is declared, with visitors welcome for emergency sanctuary from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. To register, call 302-544-0165. The locations:

• Thursday, Jan. 4: Calvary Baptist Church, 215 E. Delaware Ave., Newark.
• Friday, Jan. 5: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark, 420 Willa Road.
• Saturday, Jan. 6: New Ark United Church of Christ, 300 E. Main St., Newark.

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The Department of Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of life of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

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